Southern Fleurieu Health Service

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. What action is the minister taking to ensure the Southern Fleurieu Health Service will be able to meet the demand for health services in my community? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr BASHAM: The Southern Fleurieu Health Service currently has 32 hospital beds, including five maternity beds. With the closure of the Victor Harbor Private Hospital on 19 April this year, the community will lose 18 additional private beds.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:50): I thank the member for his question. I think, as the member does know, though, those private beds are located within the public south coast hospital, so this isn't like a private hospital located on its own site at its own facility. That private hospital organisation has made the decision to close but that does obviously present an opportunity then for the public system to retake that space within the south coast hospital to utilise for providing services for both public and also private patients who seek to do so.

There has already been an announcement by the Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network that we will be taking over that area that was the private ward within the south coast hospital, and that gives us some great opportunities in terms of providing more services for people on the south coast.

The other good news is that the much talked about but didn't actually happen expansion of the emergency department on the south coast is about to happen and that's going to provide significant additional emergency capacity for that growing region as well.

In addition, of course, we are building a new ambulance station at Victor Harbor, with additional paramedics going into Victor Harbor and Goolwa as well. I know that that's not a new ambulance station that's supported by the member for Finniss, but we believe that that is a fantastic new ambulance station and will deliver great benefit for people in the Victor Harbor region.