Noarlunga Hospital

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (15:14): My questions are to the Minister for Health. In light of the government‘s recent announcements regarding the Modbury and The Queen Elizabeth Hospitals, will the government also revisit its plans for Noarlunga Hospital under Transforming Health? I understand there is a number of staff, including doctors and nurses, who would like the opportunity to tell the minister their thoughts on the plans for Noarlunga Hospital. Does the minister intend to visit the hospital to speak with staff, as he visited the new Royal Adelaide Hospital unannounced?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (15:15): The short answer to the Hon. Mr Darley’s question is yes, I would like to visit the Noarlunga Hospital. I am more than happy to arrange that accordingly. I do have the intention of continuing my policy of showing up to some hospitals unannounced, although by saying that, it is in some way announcing it. However, I intend to do that because it provides an opportunity to get around and talk to people face to face in a different context and in a different format than is the case if you do it with a formal visit where you inevitably have more of an entourage and so forth. Whether or not I apply that particular strategy at Noarlunga remains to be seen but, of course, I am more than happy to engage with staff at the Noarlunga Hospital so that they can raise concerns they have.

I have been in the job now for a few weeks and it is an incredibly steep learning curve, but I’m very grateful for the support that I have received from staff across the sector and for providing me with feedback. It is a good thing and it is healthy. It is unfortunate, of course, that I cannot meet every single one of the 40,000-odd people who work within SA Health. If I met all of them for one minute that would be all that I would do. Needless to say, I’m grateful for the opportunities that I have had to be able to meet with frontline staff both on the shop floor, so to speak, but also in my office and, to the extent that I can continue to facilitate that, I will.