Question Time

Modbury Hospital

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:09): Thank you very much, sir. My question is to the Minister for Health. Does the minister acknowledge that the member for Newland was incorrect when he informed his constituents that, under Transforming Health, less than 1 per cent of Modbury patients would be transferred to another hospital?

The SPEAKER: Leader, that sounds a little bit like asking whether a media report is correct.

Mr MARSHALL: No media report, sir. There is no media report whatsoever, sir. I am sure it will be in the paper tomorrow.

The SPEAKER: I suggest the leader reframe that question, because I don't think it's currently in order, because the minister is simply not responsible for the member for Newland's newsletters.

Mr MARSHALL: Is the minister aware of a letter which has been sent from 30 doctors from the Modbury Hospital who have written to him suggesting that 7,500 Modbury patients will be transferred to the Lyell McEwin hospital each year, and does he accept those claims?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:10): I have not seen this supposed letter. I look forward to having a look at it and, when I do so, I can check the veracity of any claims made in there. But I do know a few facts. One is that, of the current presentations at Modbury Hospital, only a very small number of patients are actually admitted.

Overwhelmingly, the majority of patients who present to Modbury Hospital are seen and treated at the moment, so we would anticipate that any changes—as I have said ad nauseam in this place previously, the overwhelming majority of patients who currently go to the Modbury Hospital and are treated would still be seen in the Modbury Hospital and will still be treated. It would only be a very small number of presentations that would have to be transferred. I look forward to reading this correspondence. It would be nice to actually see a copy of this correspondence, and I am more than happy to examine its contents.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Thank you very much. Who signed it?

Mr Marshall: Thirty doctors.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Well, I look forward to reading it, but can I say one thing. We do know that, in the northern suburbs of Adelaide and the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, almost half of patients have to be transferred outside of their local area in order to be treated—almost half. I think it is 44 per cent. That compares to 12 per cent for other parts of Adelaide. That is a terrible anomaly that so many patients in the north are not able to be treated in the north—they have to be transferred—but if you live in the southern or central suburbs of Adelaide, that is simply not the case, and I am determined to fix that.

The way we will fix it is by making sure that the Lyell McEwin is able to offer the full suite of tertiary services that you would expect a tertiary hospital to do, because that means residents in the northern suburbs will be able to be treated in their local area. They will not have to be transferred to other hospitals in order to get treated. It is an essential reform.

With regard to the doctors at Modbury Hospital, we will work and we are working closely to address legitimate clinical concerns that they have. I know that one of the concerns that they had was with regard to patients who deteriorate overnight—an elective surgery patient who deteriorates overnight—and are needing a theatre to be treated if they deteriorate and need to go back into theatre. They had concerns about transferring those patients, and we addressed those concerns. We made a change so that there will be an emergency theatre available to overnight patients who have elective surgery for at least six months while we assess this program.

So, where there are legitimate clinical concerns, we will address those, but one thing I will not do is cave in to some doctors who simply are not willing or interested in working in Elizabeth. I will not countenance doctors whose only opposition is based on not being willing to drive out and look after people at the Lyell McEwin Hospital because of its being in Elizabeth and because of snobbery. There is no way.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I will not give in to snobbery, because unlike those opposite, I am concerned about the fact that almost half of patients who live in the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (and that includes the north-eastern suburbs) have to be treated outside of the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network to get the medical treatment they need.

The SPEAKER: I call to order the members for Kavel, Newland and Morphett, and I remind these members that they are on two warnings: the Minister for Investment and Trade, and the members for Chaffey, Hartley and Morialta. In particular, if I hear a peep out of the member for Hartley out of order, he will be out.