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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-06-14 Daily Xml
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Wallaroo Hospital

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:41): I have a question for the Minister for Health as well. Can the minister advise when the glass doors and facade at the Wallaroo Hospital will be repaired and whether any extra security will be supplied in tomorrow's budget? With your leave, and that of the house, I will explain just a touch further, Mr Speaker.

Leave granted.

Mr ELLIS: On 15 February, the minister and I toured Wallaroo Hospital on the morning after a vicious attack which damaged significantly the front facade, and as of Monday, which was four months later, the hospital was still boarded up, the windows haven't been replaced and we haven't had any extra security provided to keep the staff safe.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:42): I thank the member for his passion for his local services and particularly Wallaroo Hospital. This was a vicious attack and one that we condemn completely in terms of what happened at Wallaroo Hospital a few months ago. The advice that I have had from Roger Kirchner, who is the Chief Executive of the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network, is that the glass in terms of those doors is imminently to be replaced.

I understand there is now quite a process that local health networks have to go through since the former Liberal government privatised a lot of the maintenance operations through the Ventia scheme, so that is quite a lengthy process that they need to go through. Previously, the local hospitals were able to just use local contractors as required. Now they need to go through this central process in terms of allocations through Shared Services and Ventia. But I understand the good news is that it is about to be replaced.

In relation to security, the local health network and its board have been undertaking a review in relation to security of Wallaroo Hospital. They have also been looking at the work that's been happening across the state in relation to this. Obviously, part of that work has been undertaken through the Port Lincoln hospital, where we had committed at the election that we would undertake a review of security following a spate of violent incidents that had happened at that hospital. We now have security in place at that hospital.

There has been a review that's been underway and I understand is in the process of finalisation. That will provide guidance for local health networks across the state in terms of the management of security risks, where security guards are necessary, where other measures are necessary in terms of providing that safety for staff and for patients alike.

I understand the local health network board will be considering their own work and their own review of that incident but also looking at the work that's been coming out of the Eyre and Far North Local Health Network in their review in terms of security at Port Lincoln. We certainly completely denounce any attack on our health workers, and I certainly hope that we, through our police and our court system, make sure that any attack on our health network, our health staff or our patients is treated with the upmost seriousness and the full force of the law.

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