Port Lincoln Hospital

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:33): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Will the government commit to the funding of appropriate security measures at the Port Lincoln hospital to protect those delivering vital medical services to the community? With your leave, sir, and with that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TELFER: There have been a number of reported incidents of violence at the Port Lincoln hospital over the last number of months which have left those caring for patients feeling at physical risk in their workplace. Additional security measures have been put in place at other comparable regional hospitals.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:33): I thank the member for Flinders for his question. I can in fact provide a slight correction to when he said that issues have been happening over the past couple months. In fact, issues have been happening over the past few years.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: That's right. I think maybe even more.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: That's right, 36 months maybe. There have been some really serious issues at the Port Lincoln hospital in terms of security at that hospital, including some noted cases where nurses have been assaulted at that hospital, which is extremely concerning to me, then as the shadow health minister and now as the minister.

As was said, there has been action in terms of some other country hospitals and security arrangements in place there. We haven't seen that action at the Port Lincoln hospital, and this is something that has been raised with me repeatedly by residents in Port Lincoln and also by representatives of the staff there, particularly the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation.

That is why before the last state election we made a commitment that we would undertake a wholesale review of security arrangements at the Port Lincoln hospital to make sure that we can look after those who are looking after us, which I think is absolutely what government should be doing. That was not a promise or a commitment that I believe was matched by those opposite before the election, but we will be delivering that. We will be undertaking a review of the arrangements at the Port Lincoln hospital because we want to make sure that the staff there are protected and that all the appropriate arrangements are in place for their security.

In addition to that, there is a lot more work to do for security of health staff right across the system, and that's why we also made a commitment to working with frontline nurses, doctors and allied health professionals, particularly with the ANMF. They have been raising this issue repeatedly for the past few years and have been calling for a 10-point plan to be put in place in relation to nurse security as has been put in place in states such as Victoria. We saw a continual resistance by the previous minister to put in place an arrangement for the security of staff similar to what has been in place in Victoria. We will be addressing that as well.

Our frontline healthcare workers are absolutely invaluable. They do an incredibly difficult job, sometimes in very difficult circumstances. Of course, there are always going to be risks that cannot be mitigated, but where we can take action to mitigate those risks then we absolutely need to do everything we possibly can to do so.