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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-09-27 Daily Xml
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Transforming Health

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:37): A supplementary: does the minister concur with his predecessor, Jack Snelling, when he was minister, with the claim that there were 500 avoidable deaths occurring in our hospitals each year, and how will the minister work to ensure that those 500 avoidable deaths are tracked and reduced, if he does believe that claim?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (14:37): I have no reason to believe that my predecessor would unnecessarily exaggerate claims, particularly when it comes to a statistic that is concerning within his own portfolio. We are making the decisions that we need to, to make sure that we provide the best quality health care for South Australians and to make sure that we avoid unnecessary mistakes in the system where we can. That means making tough policy decisions. It means you don't make policy decisions on the fly or on the run; instead, you rely on advice from clinicians, in conjunction with information you receive from members of the community.

Transforming Health is a policy that was developed in conjunction with clinicians. That doesn't mean that you get it right absolutely the first time, every time, which also means that you need to adjust it and tinker with it as time passes or if new information presents itself. But by and large, the reasons why the government pursued this policy were well-founded. We have seen good results arise as a result of it. We are not opposed to adjusting the policy as new information comes to light, or to making sure that community concern is taken into account, but it is a policy that is founded in good principle. We don't shy away from making tough decisions, even if they are politically difficult, if at the same time we are confident that we can deliver better public health care for South Australians.

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