Health and Wellbeing

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (15:19): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Can the minister update the council—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: The Hon. Dr Centofanti, sit down, please. We will move on when we have some silence so I can hear what the honourable member is about to ask.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Thank you, Mr Deputy President. My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Can the minister update the council on how the Marshall Liberal government is helping to improve the health and wellbeing of all South Australians?

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:20): If I could just add to my previous answer in relation to RAT tests, I have been advised that neither the Chief Public Health Officer nor the Deputy Chief Public Health Officer has provided advice to the Legislative Council that RAT tests should be done by members. The chief executive of the department has asked the Chief Public Health Officer to review that advice.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, answer the question when you have some silence, because I want to hear the answer.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I would like to thank the honourable member for her question. Nearly four years ago, the Marshall Liberal government was elected with a strong commitment to reinvest in prevention and health and promotion. We made a commitment to rebalance the health system to support improved physical, mental and social wellbeing for all South Australians. We made a commitment to—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter! Put your mask back on. Minister, please continue.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: We made a commitment to put a strong fence at the top of the cliff to prevent people from falling rather than focusing on rescuing people after they had fallen. Successive Labor governments had pillaged preventive health funding, cutting the primary prevention and health promotion workforce, reducing programs and support services, and adding significant pressure to the health system.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter! The honourable Leader of the Opposition! I don't want to call you all out. Minister, please continue.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The Marshall government has worked tirelessly to reverse the damage successive Labor governments inflicted on our health system. We are reinvesting in preventive health. We are reinvesting in non-hospital-based services, in primary prevention and in community health care.

A key strategy was the creation of Wellbeing SA to lead this essential work. We have invested in the workforce. A health promotion branch has been established within Wellbeing SA, with a focus on the early years, chronic disease prevention and Aboriginal health promotion.

We have invested in hospital avoidance programs. Wellbeing SA has led the establishment of five Priority Care Centres in metropolitan and peri-urban centres, developed and launched My Home Hospital to deliver better health care closer to home, and established the Chronic Disease Integrated Partnership Grants to support South Australians living with chronic disease to better manage their health.

We have invested in community health care. Wellbeing SA has established a $2 million co-investment fund for preventive health initiatives through partnerships such as the partnership with the South Australian Lymphoedema Compression Garment Subsidy Scheme. We have delivered the Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service, and we have established a community resilience and wellbeing grants program. We are investing in the community.

Wellbeing SA has delivered our SA Healthy Towns Challenge initiative, which has provided grants to regional and rural towns to develop preventive health programs within their community. Two wellbeing hub pilot sites have been established in partnership with local government, in particular the City of Playford and the Naracoorte Lucindale Council.

We have strengthened community wellbeing through bushfire grants. The Billion Steps program has helped increase physical activity, and most recently we have launched the inaugural Walking Strategy. The Walking Strategy will encourage people in South Australia to move more by increasing the amount of walking they engage in for transportation, for recreation and sport, and for health and wellbeing. In partnership with the Heart Foundation, the strategy has been co-designed with advice from the community and experts across sectors and it champions making pedestrians a priority in urban planning and design.

The strategy takes a holistic view, looking at how to make walking easy and enjoyable for everyone. As a reflection of the importance of the integrated approach to encourage more walking, there are government agencies spanning six ministerial portfolios collaborating to deliver this single strategy. Investment in health promotion benefits everyone: individuals, communities and government.