Health Services

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (15:34): Members are likely aware that this year, following an unfortunate series of circumstances, I experienced a prolonged period of infirmity. Towards the beginning, I spent quite a reasonable chunk of time in hospital and, after my initial stay concluded, I required significant ongoing medical care. For quite some time, I required such care every second day. In an earlier era, I may simply have had no choice but to stay in hospital for the duration of such level of need. Fortunately, however, with modern medical care now being what it is, during the months that I spent recuperating at home, I was able to be supervised and directly supported by expert health professionals through in-home nursing care.

This is not to say anything disparaging about hospitals. Our hospitals and the range of dedicated health workers found within them are phenomenal and I was incredibly well looked after. But for persons who are undergoing a long period of convalescence, having the opportunity to be supported to get back to full health in the comfort of their home, rather than remaining in hospital, can offer greater flexibility, dignity and freedom. These are benefits one may find themselves particularly appreciating after spending a significant period of time in hospital.

I had the benefit of receiving the expert care of nurses from two excellent health services: My Home Hospital and the Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS). For those who have not encountered it, My Home Hospital is a public hospital level service delivering acute care to patients in the comfort and privacy of their own homes, including residential aged care and supported accommodation. My Home Hospital is an SA Health service with my support coming from the Flinders hospital based team. Because My Home Hospital services are aimed at patients who require acute care, the nurses deliver a level of care that is basically commensurate to what a person would receive in hospital. It is fantastic that South Australians can access such a level of care in their own homes.

Similar observations could be made in relation to the crucial work of the RDNS, which is a not-for-profit community health and care provider, generally for persons requiring somewhat less acute care than My Home Hospital provides. RDNS was established in 1894 and has been through many iterations and changes, but still offers crucial services to our community in the same spirit that they always have. Very importantly, beyond what these services provide to each individual, they also take pressure off our hospitals by enabling people to get back into their homes, a crucial advantage of having such services in place. For South Australians to have the option of hospital-level acute care or ongoing subacute care at home is an enormous benefit for our community.

As you do when you have a stranger in your home attending to your maladies, I often took the opportunity to chat with the nurses who provided my care. This enabled me to learn that many of them are former emergency department nurses, which inspires yet more confidence that the expertise and skills on offer are high calibre. I am extremely grateful for every person who chooses to work as a nurse across our health system, in our public hospitals, our private hospitals, our aged and residential care facilities, our medical clinics, our community health services and, certainly not least, in the services that enable us to receive this great nursing care at home.

It must be said that my experience over many months was far from easy, and it was far from pleasant, but I am fortunate to have had great care that ultimately led to good outcomes. Thanks to that, I continue to feel better and stronger week on week. I do not hesitate to say that I could not have made this journey without the care and support of the dedicated nurses from My Home Hospital and the RDNS. I want to thank each of them for their dedication to the work they do each day and for supporting me to get back here so that I can continue my own work. The opportunity just to be here is a privilege that I appreciate more than I can say. Thank you.

The ACTING PRESIDENT (The Hon. R.A. Simms): Thank you, the Hon. Mr Martin, and it is good to have you back.