Stirling Hospital

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Will the government institute measures to keep Stirling community hospital open? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr TEAGUE: On 11 May, around 200 residents attended a community forum in my electorate, concerned by reports that the Stirling community hospital might be relocated to Mount Barker.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:00): As the member is aware, Stirling Hospital is a private hospital with its own private hospital board. It is not a hospital that SA Health runs or has any control over. I am advised that that private hospital and its private hospital board are considering not closing but whether they move the hospital site to a different location in the Hills. That is something they are undergoing consultation on with their local community at the moment.

But I can advise in relation to public services, and particularly our emergency services, that we have a very strong commitment in terms of increasing the availability of services to the Adelaide Hills. It was a delight, sir, to join you just last week at the opening of the new emergency department at Mount Barker hospital, which is obviously the first stage of our rebuilding of that entire hospital to make sure we can provide the level of care that people in the Adelaide Hills should be able to expect from their public health services and, ultimately, to triple the number of inpatient beds that will be available at that hospital.

This is a government that has a very strong commitment to improving public healthcare services in the Adelaide Hills. We do not—and I am sure the member knows—have any control over private hospitals or private hospital boards.