Northern Adelaide Local Health Network

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland) (14:27): My question is to the Minister for Health. How have service realignments in the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network changed the health care provided at both the Lyell McEwin and Modbury Hospital?

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:27): I would like to thank the member for Newland and acknowledge his passionate advocacy on behalf of his constituents within the catchment area of Modbury Hospital.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I can tell you one thing: he has never said we should privatise Modbury Hospital. There is one thing the member for Newland has never done, and that's advocate privatisation of the Modbury Hospital. We have made significant improvements to the delivery of public health care in South Australia and these improvements have been yielding excellent results, and doesn't the opposition love it! You can hear the joy on the other side of the chamber.

One year after health services in the north and north-east were realigned, local residents are spending five hours less in hospital and getting faster access to elective surgery. Despite 3,450 more presentations to the Lyell McEwin Hospital since the realignments started, patients are spending 19 minutes less time waiting to be treated in the emergency department than they did the year before our modernisation. Modbury Hospital continues to see more than 100 patients a day in its ED, which is here to stay under this government, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, staffed by emergency medical specialists and capable of providing emergency assessment and treatment to all patients.

Modbury Hospital and the Lyell McEwin Hospital have also seen some remarkable outcomes in their delivery of surgical services. Our latest figures show an increase of 44 per cent in the number of day surgeries performed at Modbury Hospital. There have also been improvements in waiting times for elective surgery. Back in November 2016, there were 40 overdue elective surgeries for Modbury Hospital and the Lyell McEwin Hospital. At the end of May, we are scheduled to have no overdue elective surgeries.

Concentrating complex and emergency surgery at the Lyell McEwin Hospital also means fewer surgeries at Modbury Hospital were cancelled at the last minute, as the operating theatres don't need to be used for emergency patients; in fact, our data shows that 99 per cent of elective surgery patients at Modbury Hospital were admitted on the day that their surgery was planned. The work of our skilled and dedicated staff, as well as investments made by the government, such as the $32 million for the new state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre at Modbury Hospital, has enabled more services than ever before to be provided locally. This means far fewer northern residents are now required to travel into the city to receive the treatment that they need.

The first wave of specialist services moved north in October last year, including orthopaedics, renal and vascular. More recently, stroke services were expanded, and medical oncology, cardiology, ENT, urology, breast endocrine, haematology and rehabilitation services will be transferred in coming months. The installation of a second CT scanner at the Lyell McEwin Hospital is eliminating the outpatient waiting list for scans. The purchase of a second catheter lab is providing more patients with access to interventional cardiology services.

In addition, the introduction of 24-hour orthopaedic coverage at Lyell McEwin Hospital has drastically reduced wait times from when patients arrive at the emergency department to when they are operated on. Thanks to the improvements the government has instigated in our northern suburbs, patients are receiving better care close to home, and they are waiting less time to be treated and they are getting home quicker.

Members interjecting:

Ms BEDFORD: Supplementary, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Before we come to the supplementary, I call to order the members for Chaffey, Hammond, Mount Gambier and the member for Heysen, and it's good to hear her in full cry. I warn the members for Hammond, Chaffey and Mount Gambier. I warn for the second and final time the member for Mount Gambier, and I note that the leader has been on two warnings yet interjected on two occasions in the minister's answer.

Mr Marshall: I apologise, sir.

The SPEAKER: I accept your apology then. Supplementary, member for Florey.