Hospital Beds

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:10): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding hospital demand.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Having experienced firsthand our parliamentary systems at both a commonwealth and state level, I have seen what a difference it makes when governments cooperate rather than engage in public bickering. Will the minister update the council on how the state government is working with the federal government to ensure that our respective health programs complement each other?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:11): I thank the honourable member for his question. The member is right to point out the issue of the interaction of commonwealth and state programs. One area where we have seen a commonwealth program having a negative impact on the public health system in South Australia is in the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. I have spoken on a number of occasions about the issue of long-stay patients in South Australian hospitals, who are waiting for their next step on the NDIS journey but who are waiting in limbo because of the complexities of the interaction of the health system and the NDIS program.

Staying in hospital for an extended period of time is associated with a series of negative health outcomes in addition to the isolation from family and loved ones. It comes at a substantial cost to the South Australian taxpayer, who foots the bill for acute beds occupied by long-stay patients. It also impacts on our emergency departments, as other patients might be waiting for the bed occupied by a long-stay patient.

However, rather than choosing to go down the road of the previous Labor government, chest beating grandstanding, the Marshall Liberal government has been working constructively with the Morrison Liberal government to deliver better results for South Australia. Recently, federal health minister, Greg Hunt, and I announced a joint $8 million pilot program specifically addressing long-stay patients who are clinically ready for discharge.

It is a great example of the improved outcomes that can be brought about by a better and more collaborative approach. The pilot will take a three-pronged approach: it will establish six hospital liaison roles in Adelaide's three tertiary hospitals, it will fund temporary placement of patients whose discharge has been delayed, and it will involve the setting up of a dedicated team to provide oversight of the supply of care to patients.

At the commencement of the project, there were approximately 70 general patients and 39 mental health patients who were waiting for appropriate community care. The project will focus on discharging 40 of these long-stay patients before 1 July and ease pressure on the system during the winter period. To put this in context, one of the patients who is being helped through this program was waiting 393 days for their care in the community; that is 393 days beyond the end of their acute care. They spent more than a year waiting for the next step on the journey. The impact of that on the patient, and on the patients in the emergency department, is clear.

The announcement of a joint program by minister Hunt and myself shows the clear and demonstrable benefit to South Australians delivered through collaboration between the Marshall and Morrison Liberal governments. It adds to the $30 million committed by the Morrison Liberal government towards a reactivation of the Repat, the $10 million towards the emergency department upgrade at Mount Barker, the $20 million for drug and alcohol services in South Australia and the additional aged-care places, particularly important with an ageing population. Where the former government chose to pick a fight to get a headline, the Marshall Liberal government will continue to collaborate with the federal government to deliver real improvements for South Australian health services.