House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time South-East Surgical Services South-East Surgical Services Mr BELL House of Assembly Mount Gambier South-East Surgical Services Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Health. With only four weeks to go on their contracts, when will the surgeons in the South-East be informed of their fate? The Hon. J.J. SNELLING House of Assembly Playford Minister for Health Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister for the Arts Minister for Health Industries South-East Surgical Services The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:59): As soon as possible. I've certainly made it clear that I haven't been happy with the length of time this process has taken, and it has been I think unfair on those involved that it has taken so long, and I have made those feelings quite clear to Country Health. I expect next time we go through a process similar to this that we'll be doing it far better in getting the processes right. I will reassure the member for Mount Gambier and people living in the South-East that the whole purpose of this is to get more surgical services available in the Mount Gambier Hospital. This is about making sure that we get better bang for our buck and provide an expanded range of services as long as it is clinically safe to do so in the South-East, and I'm confident, through this process, that's what we will get.