Legislative Council Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2) 54 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Rural Health Workforce Rural Health Workforce The Hon. E.S. BOURKE Legislative Council Rural Health Workforce The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:27): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding health. Can the minister advise exactly what he has done to address the critical doctor shortage at the Maitland Hospital, which has been described by local staff as being at crisis point. What steps has the minister taken to repair the relationship breakdown between hospital staff and Country Health that has resulted in confusion and delays for patients? Is the SA Health locum required to see all patients who present to the embattled emergency department or only category 1 and 2 patients? The Hon. S.G. WADE Legislative Council Minister for Health and Wellbeing Rural Health Workforce The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:27): The Maitland Hospital is one of many in the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network. Beyond the local health network of Yorke and Northern, there are five other regional local health networks. Each of them has a number of hospitals. In total, I think they are in the order of 60. I am not sure whether 60 hospitals is the—anyway, there is a large number of hospitals in country South Australia engaging a large number of GPs. I am not briefed on every relationship with every GP with every country hospital.