Accommodation for Regional Patients

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:02): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Deputy Premier, representing the Minister for Health, regarding emergency accommodation.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: Recent reports have highlighted the difficulty regional South Australians face when trying to secure accommodation in Adelaide for essential reasons such as surgery or cancer treatment. During the upcoming Ashes cricket series, searches for accommodation revealed prices as high as $27,000 for a week and a complete lack of availability in hotels and motels. This raises serious concerns about the ability of our health system to support patients who must travel from the regions for critical care when major events place pressure on accommodation supply.

Many rural and regional families rely on proximity to hospitals for safety and convenience during treatment. When accommodation becomes scarce or prohibitively expensive, these families face significant stress, financial hardship and logistical challenges. My questions to the Deputy Premier are:

1. Can the minister advise what measures are currently in place to ensure regional patients and their families can access affordable accommodation near hospitals during a period of high demand?

2. Will the government consider expanding hospital-provided or subsidised accommodation options such as those previously available at the old RAH to meet this critical need?

3. Has the government investigated or is it willing to undertake any review into whether price inflation or artificial booking practices are contributing to the scarcity and cost of emergency accommodation in Adelaide?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Deputy Premier, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:04): I thank the honourable member for her question. I acknowledge her longstanding interest in the health and wellbeing of South Australians from right across the state. I will be more than happy to refer her questions to the health minister, the Hon. Chris Picton, the member for Kaurna, in another place and bring back a reply.