Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-11-27 Daily Xml

Contents

KordaMentha Report

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (15:05): Supplementary: has the minister been given any advice on the actual number of elective surgery operations at CALHN that may be cut under the KordaMentha plan? If he has received any such advice, what did it say?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:05): I'd just reiterate the answer which I've already given, which is that the KordaMentha plan and that particular aspect of it is not about reducing services; it's about delivering services more effectively. But if I may be given the indulgence to just mention to the member that the Treasurer in his latest budget made clear that the government was going to deliver on its commitment to invest $45 million in elective surgery over the next two years.

So if the honourable member is asking me whether he thinks there is any hope that that the government will be able to reduce the elective surgery backlog, which has increased tenfold in the last year of the Labor government, my answer to him would be yes. I am very confident that with a better, more efficient health system operating, with a very sizeable investment from the Marshall Liberal government, South Australians will continue to see better access to health services, including elective surgery.