House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-02-12 Daily Xml

Contents

PAXTON REPORT

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (16:57): My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister advise the cost of the Paxton Partners' report into the efficiency of public hospitals in South Australia and when will he release it publicly?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (16:58): The health department is very keenly attempting to ensure that our health system works as efficiently as it possibly can. It is important that we do a range of things to ensure the health system in South Australia is up to the mark. One thing that we do is put in extra resources, and the Premier has outlined, on numerous occasions, the fact that we have an extra 2,200-plus nurses and an extra 600-plus doctors and other allied health workers. We are putting more resources into building up our health system, but that does not mean we cannot run the system that we have as efficiently as it possibly can be run. To that end, Paxton was engaged to produce some reports into the efficiencies of a number of our metropolitan hospitals and the department is working through those recommendations. It will certainly raise them with the hospitals. In relation to the specifics of the member's question, I will have to bring back an answer.