House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-07-03 Daily Xml

Contents

COUNTRY HEALTH CARE PLAN

Mrs PENFOLD (Flinders) (14:55): Will the Minister for Health advise the house who provides security at our regional hospitals at present and will that remain the same under the new plan? I have been advised that the security contracts for our schools, SA Water, United Water and correctional services are to be taken over by PSSB, a branch of SA Police, taking substantial contracts away from small businesses.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:56): I did not hear all the question, but I take it that it was: who provides security to regional hospitals and will that change in the future? I assume that the security contracts that are put in place are done on a tender basis; presumably, in the past it has been done on a hospital-by-hospital basis. How it will be worked through under the integrated country health services I cannot answer, but I am happy to get a report for the member. However, the two criteria we would want to make sure apply are that we get a good security service and that it is cost competitive.