Regional Locum Doctors

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:16): My question is to the Minister for Health. Can the minister explain how the government measures the performance and service of locum doctors in regional hospitals? Mr Speaker, with your leave and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr McBRIDE: We have heard reports that locum doctors can effectively choose their own hours when working in regional hospitals, with some patients waiting up to six hours to see a doctor. This isn't because they are busy but because they are not on site.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:17): Thank you very much for the question from the member for MacKillop. I note his very strong interest in terms of regional health, particularly following his question yesterday in terms of how we can grow our medical workforce based in regional South Australia. Let me say from the outset that that is what we are determined to do because what we have seen over the past five to 10 years is a growing issue in terms of the locum workforce, not just here but right around the country, that's becoming a real problem.

It's a problem on a number of fronts. One is that it is obviously costing a lot more money to be able to deliver that level of workforce. Secondly, though, it's a problem for patients, their care and their continuity of care in terms of not having a regular or stable medical workforce based in that community. That's why we are so determined to take action in terms of growing the medical workforce based in regional South Australia.

The alternative is that that continuation that we have seen over the past five to 10 years just continues and the workforce becomes more and more locumised, if you can use such a term. Of course, locums will always have a place. We want locums to be able to fill gaps for people on holidays, sick leave or whatever the case is, but what has been seen over the past five to 10 years is locums becoming a permanent fixture to fill those gaps.

I have taken some advice about the issue raised in terms of the hours worked and the hours to see a doctor. In our devolved model for healthcare governance now in South Australia, it is ultimately up to the local healthcare networks in terms of the contracting they have in place with various medical service providers to provide that. They all have arrangements in place that set out the contracts and requirements that the locum workforce need to do when they fill that. The dates, working hours and locations required of locums to meet the needs of the hospital and health of community are specified upon the engagement of the locum doctors.

The performance of providers on the panel is measured through contract KPIs, which includes credentialling, safe working hours and training. Of course, if there are situations in which, as the member says, you have people who aren't meeting those requirements that have been put in place, then I would be very happy to follow that up with the member and the local health network, who can then follow it up with the locum service provider to make sure that we are getting what has been contracted and that those requirements have been met.

Ultimately, rather than just putting in place better locum arrangements, I would rather have doctors based in those communities who can provide those services and that's ultimately what the government is set to deliver.