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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-02-20 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Country Health Services

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:52): My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister review a decision to change Country Health Connect services available at Lucindale, Tintinara and Coonalpyn? With your leave, Mr Speaker, and the leave of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr McBRIDE: Country Health Connect nurses have been available to see patients in these towns on a walk-in basis without the need for an appointment. However, the availability of these services is now by appointment only, with bookings being centralised.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:53): I thank the member for MacKillop for his advocacy on this particular issue and his strident advocacy on health issues in his electorate more broadly. The member for MacKillop has raised these issues with me on behalf of his local community. These are changes in relation to the local community services in those localities. It is a local decision that has been made by the local health network under their governing boards, and it is not something that the department or the government has had any direction in.

It is something that we are very happy to work with the member for MacKillop on, and listen to his concerns and his community concerns. I understand that the local health network and their boards have made these decisions trying to get the best possible use of those resources; it's not an attempt to cut resources but to make sure that there are appointments, that people are available and that they can get the most number of people through those services.

But I think that we always want to make sure that our local health networks are listening and engaged with their local communities, and if there are particular concerns from community members or clinicians in the member's electorate about those local changes that have been made then I want to make sure that the local health network and its board is listening to that, and make sure that ultimately we get what we are trying to achieve which is the best possible health services for the community. So, already I have committed to the member that we will organise for him to meet with not only myself but with the local health network board and CEOs so he can raise these issues and we can work through if there are ways that we can address the concerns of his community.

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