Mount Gambier Hospital

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:02): My question is also to the Minister for Health. Can the minister clarify why Mount Gambier hospital's COVID ward was closed, requiring COVID-positive patients to be transferred to Adelaide?

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:02): I thank the member for Mount Gambier for his question on this important topic. He and I have been talking frequently since the last election about the impact of services at Mount Gambier hospital, which has been under considerable pressure. Unfortunately, this is an issue that has not happened overnight but has been growing, where the pressure on that hospital has been suffering significant staffing shortages and unfilled vacancies.

I know from repeatedly visiting the hospital and speaking to the staff there, and recently at the end of last year with the now Premier as well right before the border was due to open, preparation simply was not put in place before the border opened in terms of making sure that the facilities were in place to be able to manage COVID at that site. At the very last minute, staff there had to scramble to put together a plan because up until that time the then government had been saying to the services there, 'Don't worry, everyone will be flown to Adelaide,' then that changed right before the border opened.

We are now in a situation where the staff have been doing an incredible job to try to manage with the number of COVID patients they have, but they are facing very significant staffing shortages that have been in place. For instance, I am advised at the moment that there are currently 37 FTE nursing positions that are vacant and a further 17 FTE vacancies of medical staffing.

This is something we are stepping up the recruitment to make sure that we can fill those vacancies as soon as possible. I am advised that, with extensive recruitment underway, we are expecting by later this year to have addressed that situation in terms of that lack of staffing in place. Effectively, the hospital is operating with the shortage of approximately 70 FTE at the moment, which obviously has an impact upon patient care.

In addition to that, there are currently a significant number of cases of COVID in the Limestone Coast, which is doubly affecting staffing shortages in the area as well. The furloughed staff numbers have gone from nine to 16 just overnight, which is causing significant pressure. I'm advised today that they are now in Code Red, which is lower than the Code White level, but it shows that they are at capacity in the hospital at the moment.

I have been in constant contact with the department about this issue and spoken to the chair of the hospital and spoken to the local member as well. I am keen to do everything that we possibly can to address the situation both in the short term and the long term. In the short term, we have sent down to Mount Gambier to assist a number of nursing staff to address the severe shortages of staff they have at the moment. I am advised that some senior nurses have gone down to assist in that situation at the moment.

In the long term, we are building up the services in Mount Gambier hospital, expanding the emergency department, expanding mental health care, expanding drug rehabilitation, expanding drug detox services to make sure that there is more staff and a greater variety of services at the hospital. Principally, we need to address those workforce shortages that are causing these issues.

I acknowledge the difficulties faced by the constituents of the member for Mount Gambier at the moment, particularly those people who have had to come to Adelaide for treatment. It is not something we want to have happen, and obviously it is something that impacts then on the pressure of Adelaide hospitals, which are already under dramatic pressure at the moment as well. We want to address those staff shortages as soon as possible.