Health Review

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): Thank you very much, sir. My question is to the Minister for Health. In light of the AMA's survey that shows that 79 per cent of doctors do not feel adequately consulted on the implementation of Transforming Health, how can the minister stand by his statement that it is being supported by 95 per cent of clinicians in South Australia?

Mr Pisoni: Because he makes it up!

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is called to order. And that reminds me that before the leader rose I should have called to order the member for Mitchell and warned for a first time the deputy leader, the leader and the member for Mount Gambier. Minister.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:08): Mr Speaker, there are a few things I can say about this survey. Firstly, the way it is being conducted is not what one would call highly scientific. It is not the way any reputable polling organisation would undertake a survey to find out the views of its members.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Funny that the Leader of the Opposition is not also mentioning that SASMOA was part of this survey. Funny that he should only mention the AMA and not SASMOA; I think that says something. But, nonetheless, that aside, no reputable polling organisation would undertake a survey in this way. You don't put something out and ask for people to contribute and expect you are going to get the results reflective of the views of the membership.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Mr Speaker, no organisation would work in this way, and in fact I would not call it a survey so much as a complaint box. Of course it is going to reflect—the results are going to be skewed in a particular way because of the nature of undertaking this supposed survey.

Having said that, change is always going to be difficult. Change is always hard and reform of this nature is always going to cause anxiety among people, and I understand that. If you have a look at any of the significant reform projects that this government has undertaken, initially they have encountered strong opposition. If you have a look at the Adelaide Oval redevelopment, I very well remember the howls of outrage, the cries that this was going to be the end of the world and the sky was going to fall in.

I remember the opposition to the footbridge. Similar once again: howls of outrage, the sky was going to fall in. It is not unusual when you are undertaking reform, as a reformist government does, that you get opposition. That is the mark of a reforming government that has courage, that despite the background noise you do what is right. The fact is we are undertaking reforms that the opposition, when they were last in government, never had the courage to undertake, because we are a courageous government.

If I say one final thing with regard to reform and people saying the sky is about to fall in, I very well remember in this house and in the wider public, with the changes to the Modbury Hospital and emergency department, the sky was going to fall in, this was going to be the end of the world and this was going to be a disaster. Well, Mr Speaker, what have we seen in the roughly four weeks since those changes? I acknowledge it is early days, but what have we seen? Two additional people being transferred from the Modbury Hospital to the Lyell McEwin a day. Two a day extra on top of what was already—so that is about eight to 10 transfers a day. That is about two a day more than were previously being transferred—point No. 1.

Secondly, I should say that you have roughly 80 to 100 patients who continue to present and be looked after at the Modbury Hospital, exactly as I recall saying in this chamber would happen. The sky has not fallen in. Thirdly, if you have a look at the emergency department performance of both the Modbury Hospital and the Lyell McEwin Hospital in the last few weeks, they are significantly better.

We will get runs on the board, and as we continue to get runs on the board with these reforms, the clinicians' hearts and minds will follow. There is no clinician in South Australia who is not interested in patient safety, who does not place that number one. As these reforms continue to improve patient outcomes, we will get that support.

The SPEAKER: The minister's time has expired. I call to order the members for Schubert, Morialta, Kavel, Davenport and Chaffey; I warn for the first time the members for Unley, Hartley, Schubert, Kavel and Morialta; and I warn for the second and final time the leader, the deputy leader and the members for Mount Gambier, Schubert and Morialta. The member for Elder.