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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-06-19 Daily Xml
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Modbury Hospital

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:13): My question is to the Minister for Health. Can the minister inform the house about the redevelopment of the Modbury Hospital emergency department and waiting times?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:13): I thank the member for Florey for her question. She is, of course, a champion of the Modbury Hospital. In fact, I would say that the Modbury Hospital has no greater champion than the member for Florey, of course going back to her days campaigning against the privatisation of the Modbury Hospital. The National Health Performance Authority—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: There's a voice somewhere at the back there—recently released a report into time spent in emergency departments in 2012 and 2013. The report was far from comprehensive. It did not include the Women's and Children's and Noarlunga hospitals and only focused on the four-hour discharge target. It did not present any results on time taken to be seen by a doctor or a nurse—a target that I would argue is more relevant from a patient perspective. On this measure, South Australian hospitals were the second best in the nation in 2012-13.

While the report showed the Lyell McEwin Hospital had improved the percentage of people leaving within four hours, the performance of Modbury Hospital, however, had not improved. It should be said that during the reporting period the Modbury Hospital emergency department was undergoing a complete redevelopment. This significantly reduced the physical space in the department because, in order to ensure that patient safety was not compromised, large areas had to be sealed from dust and noise. Just like roadworks can cause a temporary increase in traffic congestion before motorists are able to enjoy a better road, it is impossible to avoid these inconveniences when carrying out capital works on an existing hospital. However, the end result was easily worth it.

The $17.4 million redevelopment almost doubles the treatment and assessment bays, from 23 to 40. The department includes a secure, dedicated paediatric area and a low-stimulation area to improve health outcomes for mental health patients. Also, a new 20-bed rehabilitation ward will be open soon to provide much needed rehabilitation services in the north-eastern suburbs. I have visited the previous emergency department at Modbury Hospital many times, both as minister and also as a dad with a sick child, and I can say the new department is much improved, giving patients greater privacy, confidentiality and dignity.

Can I take the opportunity to thank the staff at Modbury Hospital for their patience during these works. I am told by my department that since the new emergency department opened in January, there has already been an improvement in patients being seen on time. This is similar to the progress we have seen at the Flinders Medical Centre emergency department waiting times.

These improvements are seriously under threat from the GP co-payment introduced by the federal Liberal budget. By taxing South Australians every time they see a GP, Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott have made it harder to get proper treatment earlier.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: If even a small number of people shift from seeing their GPs and instead present at our emergency departments, there could be a massive increase to waiting times as well.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the deputy leader, I call the member for Schubert to order and the member for Finniss to order and I warn the member for Heysen for the first time. Deputy leader.

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