Women's Centres

The Hon. J.S. LEE (16:39): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question about the closure of selected women's centres in North Adelaide.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: I refer to the Radio Adelaide interview on 29 April, when the CEO of the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children, Ms Terese Edwards, was interviewed about the closure of selected youth and women's centres in North Adelaide.

This closure is an attempt to save $3 million annually from the South Australian Health services. These centres provide women and youth with a safe, professional and holistic service, which responds to people from all walks of life.

The Minister for Health, Jack Snelling, confirmed that one of the reasons the facility is being closed is due to the unsustainable physical state of the building. However, Ms Edwards stated in her interview that she visits the building on a 'regular basis and, if that is the reason for closing, it seems like a flawed economic argument'. My questions to the minister are:

1. What consultations has the Minister for the Status of Women had with the Minister for Health regarding this centre's closure?

2. What consultations has the minister had with the stakeholders?

3. How would the minister advocate to protect the services that it provides to women from all walks of life?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (16:40): I thank the honourable member for her important question. SA Health recently released its new model of care for delivering assessment and care to women. The new model will be based on a hub and spoke model, with outreach services available across metropolitan South Australia.

Women's services hubs will be located in Port Adelaide, Elizabeth and Noarlunga, with an outreach service in North Adelaide. These changes will affect the way that women access services; however, they have been specifically developed to focus on ensuring vulnerable women can access appropriate health care. Healthcare initiatives support the government's strategic priorities: safe communities and healthy neighbourhoods. I have had discussions with the health minister and I have had briefings in relation to these changes, so I have obviously kept a very close eye on it, particularly in relation to the consultation that the Department of Health has undertaken with stakeholders.

The driver for change was the Review of Non-Hospital Based Services in 2012, which focused on services' performance and outcomes. The changes that have occurred will not change the health care services available to vulnerable women; however, the delivery of those services may change. SA Health has also developed a new model of care for youth health as well.

According to the South Australian Health media release, the changes to the women's health and youth health models will result in savings of about $3 million a year and the reduction of 42 full-time staffing positions by June 2015. While the changes will mean new staffing structures, there will not be any forced redundancies. South Australian Health has stated that the reductions will be met through targeted voluntary separation packages and natural attrition.

The services provided by Women's Health Statewide at Pennington Terrace will be governed directly by the Women's and Children's Health Network under the new model, so I have been advised. The new model of care was developed to deliver integrated, specialised clinical women's health services to metropolitan Adelaide. Previously, these services were delivered separately by the Women's and Children's Health Network through Women's Health Statewide and the southern and central Adelaide local health networks. All metropolitan services will be under the governance of the Women's and Children's Health Network.

I have been to that service and that building on many occasions. I am not too sure whether the Hon. Jing Lee has ever stepped foot in the place, because if she had she would have to admit that the building was most unsuitable for the purposes of women. It was not suitable for service. The services have been restructured to meet the needs of women. As I said, the building was very old and in very bad repair and there needed to be some changes. As I said, the services have been restructured in a way to support those women, particularly those most vulnerable.