Public Works Committee: Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital Emergency Department Upgrade Project

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (11:51): I move:

That the 22^nd report of the committee for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament, entitled 'Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital emergency department upgrade project', be noted.

Mr Speaker, you will know that Murray Bridge is one of the largest cities in country South Australia with a population of 18,120 residents. It provides a critical regional centre for health services in the Murraylands region. The city has an average annual growth rate of 1.4 per cent, making it one of the fastest growing centres in the state. Over the next five to 10 years, the broader catchment population for the Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital is expected to grow to over 30,000 residents.

The Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital emergency department currently provides level 3 emergency services as delineated within the SA Health Clinical Services Capability Framework. In 2017-18, the Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital supported 6,812 emergency presentations.

By way of additional background and to assist members, though these matters are well known to those of us participating in the public works examination of this particular proposal, through a unique and longstanding agreement between a local general practice the Bridge Clinic, which will be well known to the member for Hammond, the SA Ambulance Service and the Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital, patients requiring emergency care are accepted at the Bridge Clinic Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 7.30pm and on Saturdays between 8.30am and 11am. This has enabled a duty doctor to be based at the Bridge Clinic during business hours, maximising the care that can be delivered for both emergency patients and walk-in urgent cases.

I raise that to reflect on the presentations under this model. In 2016-17, there were an additional 4,000 presentations managed by the duty doctor at the Bridge Clinic, including 700 presentations transported by the South Australian Ambulance Service. As I earlier mentioned, they participate in that arrangement with the clinic and the hospital.

While the hospital provides emergency services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the South Australian Ambulance Service have traditionally accessed the Bridge Clinic during the hours outlined, except where critical cases required transportation directly to the Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital because facilities, treatment and services there were better suited to the need that was presenting. In 2017, the South Australian Ambulance Service changed the patient transport approach and directly transported all patients to the Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital. The Bridge Clinic also advised that it could not continue to cover the after-hours medical roster.

I raise these matters to emphasise the growth in demand for health services in this catchment. I raise it by way of background to outline the need and I raise it because these were matters that were examined by the committee in forming up, developing, with the assistance of executive officers, and later presenting the report to parliament, which I now address.

As a result of the growth in population within and around the Murray Bridge hospital, and the increased presentations to the emergency department, the existing emergency department requires expansion to meet the increased demand that I have taken some time to outline to the house. You would know, Mr Speaker, and certainly the member for Hammond would know, that in March 2018 an election commitment was made by the now South Australian government to expand the emergency department at the Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital.

We had the benefit of taking evidence from the member for Hammond in the course of our committee hearing, and may I say that it was detailed, precise and useful. The member for Hammond is closely familiar with the growing demand for medical services in his community and was absolutely a driving force behind the formulation of that election commitment and efforts to bring forward this proposal in a timely manner to ensure that the upgrade to the hospital can take place and thereafter increase services available to the Murray Bridge community. As I say, the scope of these works was an election commitment.

A feasibility study on the emergency department was completed by Country Health SA Local Health Network in early 2018, establishing a $7 million budget, which was of course confirmed as part of the 2018-19 state budget. To support the emergency department upgrade, a new sustainable medical and nursing workforce model will also be developed in consultation with clinical leaders, as would be appropriate to ensure that the redeveloped emergency department provides access to patient-centred, high-quality care. It is envisaged that a medical officer will be on site for emergency care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, supported by a dedicated emergency services nursing team.

I can report to the house that in June 2018 the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure tendered for a professional services contract, followed by approval by SA Health. It was an engagement allowing for the concept development phase to commence in early August 2018, bringing us to where we stand today with the current proposal.

Allow me to reflect on the current proposal. The existing Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital emergency department, in terms of its current physical footprint and also the emergency service model, presents challenges in meeting the increased emergency demand. A solution is proposed that is more patient-centred, as would be appropriate, and sustainable within the rural workforce supply.

Emergency presentations to the emergency department and to the Bridge Clinic, which I earlier remarked upon, have increased significantly in recent times, with the increase being attributed to the trend in population growth. I mentioned earlier forecast growth. We anticipate that the catchment or region will achieve a population of 30,000 people in the next decade. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.