Medical Students

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN (15:18): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, a question about medical students in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN: The Repatriation General Hospital and the Noarlunga Hospital emergency department are important teaching facilities for the Doctor of Medicine course at Flinders University. South Australian medical students have raised concerns regarding the quality of their future training and uncertainty over placements and internships usually held at these facilities that are now to be closed by the government.

The President of the Flinders Medical Students' Society has warned that the government's proposals had thrown the future of several placement courses into doubt as a large component of second, third and fourth year is taught at those sites. He said that there was now uncertainty about how the university would be able to continue to deliver training in some specialties. Concerns have also been raised about the quality of future training if larger student groups are placed with doctors at the Flinders Medical Centre once students have been diverted from placements at the Repat and Noarlunga facilities.

Has the Minister for Education consulted with the university or student bodies about these concerns and, if so, what are the outcomes of those consultations, and what input will her department have to ensure that the quality of practical training provided to our medical students is not compromised if the government's proposals proceed?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:19): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. This government continues to work with all relevant stakeholders in relation to health planning to identify issues of concern and to work with those stakeholders to help overcome those issues, and that exchange and dialogue will continue.