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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-03-03 Daily Xml
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SA Pathology

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (15:07): Yes, thank you, Mr President. The minister referenced that we need to help minimise the impact regarding the pressure on the health system. Will the minister immediately order no further job cuts to SA Pathology until the full impact of the coronavirus and the pending flu season is known?

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Bourke, I will let the minister answer if he chooses but, again, it was a bit of a long bow.

The Hon. E.S. Bourke: He referred to the impact—

The PRESIDENT: Minister.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:07): I make the point that COVID-19 is a communicable disease; so is the flu. In 2014, the Labor Party decided that they would launch a reform program for SA Pathology that talked about a 300 FTE job cut. Believe it or not that was at the beginning of 2014, believe it or not there was a winter in 2014, believe it or not there was flu. This government, by contrast, has in an orderly way, led by clinicians and business managers, instituted a reform process through SA Pathology which has led to a TVSP program, which has led to a modest reduction in FTEs.

But what you have seen is that, in stark contrast to the former government's management of SA Pathology—where the workforce was inflicted with the trauma of EPLIS—this government is going through an orderly reform process which has not only seen service standards maintained but in some areas improved.

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