Patient Assistance Transport Scheme

In reply to Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (21 September 2016).

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries):

1. PATS applications are able to be fully completed on-line including authorisations from referring doctors and medical specialists or their delegates. These parties are required to be registered in the online system to authorise electronically. Paper based authorisations remain an option where doctors and medical specialists are yet to register. As of October, 2016, 134 doctors, medical specialists and delegates registered in the online system.

2. One million dollars was allocated over a two year period (2014-15–2015-16) to support the replacement of the PATS database. Developing the online portal involved a number of complexities, including multiple key stakeholder meetings and a rigorous selection and evaluation process to ensure that once launched, the new system met the needs of a range of users including regional patients and their carers; general practitioners; medical specialists and Country Health SA Local Health Network staff.