Health Review

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (14:20): My question is to the Minister for Health. How will access to elective surgery change under Transforming Health for those many residents in country South Australia who need to travel to metropolitan Adelaide for elective surgery?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:21): I thank the member for Light for this very important question, because on any given day nearly 20 per cent of patients receiving elective surgery at our metropolitan hospitals are from, in fact, regional South Australia. That's why, under Transforming Health, improvements we're making to the provision of elective surgery will benefit all South Australians, including those who live in the country.

We know that having to travel to metropolitan Adelaide for elective surgery can cause disruption to the lives of country patients, and this is clearly made worse when elective surgery is postponed or delayed or where hospital stays are longer than they need be. At the moment, around one in every four planned elective surgery operations undertaken in our metropolitan hospitals are postponed. This is often because theatres are not available due to unplanned and urgent surgery.

Having complex emergency surgery undertaken in the same theatres as elective surgery means that surgeons and clinical teams are often pulled away from planned elective surgery when an emergency occurs. Under Transforming Health we have created dedicated elective surgery centres at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Noarlunga Hospital and the Modbury Hospital. Having separate, dedicated centres for elective surgery will mean fewer postponements due to emergency surgery and better planned and managed surgery lists.

In addition, clinical evidence shows that our specialists need to see a critical mass of patients to maintain their highly specialised skills and to deliver safer and better quality outcomes for patients. Through dedicated elective surgery centres we will allow this to happen. This model is tried and tested interstate, resulting in shorter waiting times, shorter stays in hospital and better outcomes for patients. Interstate experience shows that clinical teams are rarely called away from elective surgery for emergencies if provided separately in dedicated streams.

This is good news for our country patients needing to have elective surgery in Adelaide. This means less disruption to their lives, less inconvenience from cancellations and unnecessary travel. With an increase in elective day surgery across all our metropolitan hospitals as well as the establishment of dedicated surgery centres, Transforming Health will help country patients to return home to their local communities much sooner.

When they return home, our country patients will have more access to Adelaide-based specialists via Telehealth, with over 180 videoconferencing units in more than 90 locations across 76 towns as well as in metropolitan Adelaide. Transforming Health will ensure that our country patients receive better access to faster elective surgery with shorter hospital stays. This means less interruption to their lives and safer, high-quality services.