Health Review

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright) (15:10): My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, can you inform the house about the new model of care for rehabilitation services developed by our state's clinicians through Transforming Health?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (15:10): Through Transforming Health, three expert rehabilitation clinical work groups have recently completed a new model of care for providing rehabilitation services in South Australia. The work of these groups, made up of some of our state's top rehabilitation doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, will deliver a range of improvements to ensure we provide consistent, quality rehabilitation services across the health system.

This includes the delivery of rehabilitation services to our patients in the community, including in their own homes. We know rehab can be delivered successfully at home, providing benefits to the patient and quality outcomes that are equivalent to traditional hospital-based services. This reduces the need for our patients to be in hospital and frees up our hospitals for other patients who need to be there.

Clinical evidence tells us that being in hospital for longer than needed can be detrimental; that's why, through Transforming Health, we are expanding rehabilitation care in the home to provide better quality care for our patients. This means more patients who are recovering from surgery, a stroke or a hip fracture, for example, will be able to be discharged from hospital safely and sooner than ever before and will have access to a team of health professionals, from allied health to medical and nursing, in their own home.

We are implementing innovative models, including increased use of technology like iPads and videoconferencing. This means our clinicians can provide therapy and remote monitoring as well as medical consults for patients in their own home, regardless of where they live. This new use of technology is particularly good news for our country patients, where access to rehab services can be a challenge and often involves many hours of travel or living away from home. We know many people prefer to recover in the comfort of their own home, surrounded by loved ones. At home, they can start returning to their usual day-to-day activities and rebuild their strength while continuing to receive the care they need.

Through Transforming Health, there will also be improved rehabilitation services in our hospitals. We are investing significantly in our rehab infrastructure across metropolitan Adelaide, including new gyms, hydrotherapy pools and specialised rehab equipment. Construction of the brand-new 55-bed rehab centre at the Flinders Medical Centre is well underway, and I am pleased to say that the first stage of the level 3 refurbishment at Modbury Hospital is now complete, meaning that Modbury is one step closer to becoming the major rehab and elective surgery centre for the north and north-eastern community.

The changes we are implementing mean that rehab services will be delivered in the most appropriate place and at the right time, meaning faster recovery for our patients and better outcomes. Can I take this opportunity to thank our dedicated clinicians for their hard work in developing this exciting new model of care for rehabilitation services in South Australia.