Priority Care Centres

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:27): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding hospital presentations.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: As we move through the COVID-19 pandemic, there are reports of increased pressures on hospitals around Australia. We have seen the same here in South Australia. Will the minister please update the council on efforts to reduce avoidable hospital presentations and ease the pressure on South Australia's public health system.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:28): I would like to thank the honourable member for his question. After the former Labor government downgraded metropolitan hospitals and cut around 100 beds from the system with the closure of the Repat, South Australian metropolitan hospitals continued to experience significant challenges to meet growing demand—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I would like to hear. Order! I would like to hear the minister.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The Marshall Liberal government is committed to implementing strategies to address Labor's legacy and provide quality care to South Australians through alternative pathways. One of the most significant opportunities to improve care—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter is out of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —is to provide care.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has been asked a question. The member who asked the question and the rest of the chamber should have the opportunity to hear it. I can't hear the answer at the moment and I would like to hear it. The minister has the call.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Thank you, Mr President. One of the most significant opportunities to improve care is to provide care in the community where that is more appropriate than an ED presentation. Priority care centres provide an alternative community based healthcare pathway—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —for patients with lower acuity needs, low acuity conditions—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition is out of order.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The leader is out of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Priority care centres provide an alternative community based healthcare pathway for patients with lower acuity conditions—

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Bourke!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —who need urgent care but not emergency care.

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: If the Hon. Ms Bourke wants to have a conversation with the leader, she should ask him to take it out to the lobby.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Priority care centres commenced as a pilot in August 2019 and have quickly become an integral part of our state's healthcare system. Patients with less serious and more minor conditions, such as minor sprains, suspected fractures—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —UTIs, wounds and cuts are diverted away from EDs, preserving EDs for those who need emergency care. This week, the priority care centres hit a major milestone of treating 20,000 patients since the launch. I would like to congratulate everybody involved in helping those 20,000 people receive the care they needed. Sixty per cent of patients attended a PCC—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —for an hour or less. That includes waiting time—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter is out of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —and treatment time. In comparison, low acuity patients average a 3.6-hour wait at EDs. I would also like to thank our healthcare professionals for their professionalism and outstanding care, which have resulted in patient satisfaction—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —with the service continuing to be high. More than 90 per cent of respondents said they were very satisfied—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —with the service they received, and 96 per cent said they would recommend priority care centres to family and friends.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Opposition and the Hon. Ms Bourke will remain silent.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: South Australians will be pleased that this successful Marshall government initiative will not only be continuing but expanding further in a new three-year agreement. A centralised referral system and new pathways will enhance the priority care centres at Hindmarsh, Para Hills West, Elizabeth and Marion as a vital alternative to emergency departments.

There is considerable scope for priority care centres to help further alleviate pressure on emergency departments as we continue to streamline pathways, with an average of 377 lower acuity patients presenting to a metropolitan Adelaide ED each day during 2020-21. These out-of-hospital initiatives are helping to complement the Marshall Liberal government's efforts to reduce pressure on our EDs, which includes upgrading every suburban ED in Adelaide as part of our $3 billion health infrastructure program and our $7.4 billion health services investment.