Public Works Committee: Modbury Hospital Upgrades and Additional Services Project

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (11:52): I move:

That the 11^th report of the committee for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament, entitled 'Modbury Hospital upgrades and additional services project', be noted.

I say at the outset, though, that I listened carefully to the member for Davenport's submissions in relation to the MATS plan and the ingredients of that plan, and we are all the beneficiaries of his knowledge, including his recall of the many paths we might have travelled into the Hills had $4½ billion been made available in the sixties. Of course, it was not then available—an enormous sum then and an enormous sum today.

Also important were his reflections on the relative youth of members present here. Where does he gather such information? I think few of us would have the courage to reflect on such matters, but I am grateful that he is a courageous member in this place. Modbury Hospital is part of the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network and provides acute and community services for over 400,000 residents living in the northern metropolitan area of Adelaide, as well as providing tertiary healthcare services to a wide catchment area.

Most of the existing building infrastructure at Modbury Hospital is nearing 50 years old, and the project will deliver upgrades to a range of high priority areas, including expansion of the acute surgical unit, development of the extended emergency care unit, a new short stay general medical unit, the redevelopment of the palliative care unit, the establishment of a four-bed high dependency unit, an upgrade to the main tower building facade and infrastructure upgrades to major engineering and building services. Those works are important and we took evidence in relation to them. The estimated total cost of the project is $96.581 million and the project is expected to be completed by late 2022.

The Public Works Committee has examined written and oral evidence in relation to this project, and the committee has been assured by SA Health officials that acquittals have been received from the Department of Treasury and Finance, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and the Crown Solicitor that the works are lawful and the procedures in relation to them.

The committee is satisfied that the proposal has been subject to the appropriate agency consultation and meets the criteria for the examination of projects as described in the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991. Having formed that view and having taken the benefit of evidence, based on that evidence and considering and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991 the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public works.

Mr BOYER (Wright) (11:55): I rise to make some very brief remarks about the 11^th report of the Public Works Committee, entitled 'Modbury Hospital upgrades and additional services project'. Can I firstly say that I am pleased to see the project funded and begun by the previous Labor government being continued by this government now. That is objectively a good thing for people in the north-east.

The project includes the following additional and upgraded services: an expanded acute surgical unit, an extended emergency care unit a new short stay general medical unit, a new purpose-built palliative care unit, and significant engineering and building service upgrades, including to the facade of the building and the very old lifts inside. There was one other project that the report mentions, and that is the addition of a high dependency unit. I will touch upon that in a moment.

Page 6 of the report outlines a number of key dates for this project, including funding. I think it is important to recognise accurately the history of this project. Majority funding was secured in two parts: firstly, in the 2017-18 state budget, in which the previous government delivered $9.175 million for the establishment of an extended care unit, and then, following much consultation with doctors, nurses, clinicians and members of the public, a further $82.4 million was delivered in the 2017-18 midyear budget.

In the 2017 calendar year, the former Labor government delivered over $91 million for Modbury Hospital and in doing so acknowledged the significant role the hospital plays in the north-east and, more broadly, in the South Australian health network. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the member for Croydon, the now Leader of the Opposition, who was health minister in 2017 and who initiated a review into what services Modbury Hospital could safely provide that led to this funding being delivered.

A significant consultation period followed, guided by the member for Croydon, and I was pleased to play a small part in that as the then candidate for the seat of Wright. That consultation engaged not just clinicians but also residents of the north-east and sought their views on what services they wanted to see delivered at their local hospital. I remember those consultation meetings very well. There were probably 50 or more clinicians from the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, plus reps from various state-run services, including the Australian Medical Association. The member for Florey was also there with her local action group members.

A number of constructive ideas were discussed: not just what services the hospital had scope to deliver but also the services the hospital did not have scope to deliver. There was a lot of media speculation around a high dependency unit. Up until 2016, Modbury did have a small HDU. The service was closed on the back of clinical advice, the same clinical advice the now Minister for Health told the chamber still exists in relation to the proposal to return an HDU.

Those concerns include the need to establish specialist care to support an HDU; the ongoing need for patients to be transferred to the Lyell McEwin or Royal Adelaide Hospital for specialist care following high dependency unit care; the risk of staff choosing to manage seriously unwell patients on site rather than transferring them to a more appropriate setting; recruiting staff to the Modbury HDU in the past had been problematic; the potential low volume of patients requiring the HDU may mean that clinicians are unable to maintain the skill set they need to safely care for patients in that setting; a small HDU at Modbury Hospital would not be accredited for training by the College of Intensive Care Medicine, making it difficult to attract appropriately skilled staff; and smaller high dependency units often have worse clinical outcomes than larger units.

Of course I would happily support the establishment of any new service at our hospitals, assuming it can be delivered safely. One need only doorknock for 15 minutes in the north-east to quickly realise people want more services in their local hospital. That is a fact. The minister still has not—

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr BOYER: I did deal with that. The member for Colton said it was not safe.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr BOYER: I do not pretend to be a medical expert, unlike you opposite.

The SPEAKER: Member for Wright, I am just conscious of time. I am in the house's hands here.

Mr BOYER: I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.