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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-09-21 Daily Xml
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Public Health System

The Hon. C. BONAROS (14:41): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question about the state's public health system.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare recently released a national report card on the health of the country's public health system, and SA was bottom of the class. In damning statistics, the report entitled 'Hospital Resources 2019-20' showed that SA had lost 262 hospital beds in the four years to 2020, from 4,794 beds in 2016-17 to 4,532 beds in 2019-20, the worst of any state, with the national average actually showing an increase of 0.07 per cent over the same period.

Adding to the state government's public health crisis, the problem is further exacerbated by another report, which shows that emergency department presentations have increased by more than 53,500 from 481,889 to 525,453 in the four years to 2019-20. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does he acknowledge these cuts to hospital beds and increasing ED presentations are major contributors to the enormous pressure on SA public hospitals and health services?

2. Does he believe the hospital bed cuts and ED presentation increases are major contributors to what some are claiming is the worst hospital ramping in the state's history, as well as Code Whites and Code Yellows in our public hospitals?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:43): I thank the honourable member for her question. The time period she refers to—the four years up to 2019-20—covers part of the term of the former government. In fact, that period includes November 2017, when the Leader of the Opposition in the other place as then health minister closed the Repat. My recollection is that there was a net loss to the system of about 100 beds, and that is why it was a point of celebration last Sunday to be with the Premier at the Repat site and see former wards that had been closed by the former government reopened to provide care for people, particularly people who are transitioning from acute care to community care.

I think it is also important to appreciate that the Marshall Liberal government, in undoing the damage of Transforming Health, is not, shall we say, just replicating what was there. In that regard, the Marshall Liberal government is very proud of the My Home Hospital program, which in this last week reached a major milestone. Since the service started earlier this year—it began in January—this week we celebrated admitting 1,000 patients. Amongst those thousand patients, that actually represents more than 5,000 hospital bed days. That is freeing up beds in the hospitals for patients who need—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The Hon. Ian Hunter, of course—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order, sir.

The PRESIDENT: Point of order. The Minister will resume his seat. I would like to hear the point of order.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Sir, if you can give some direction about whether referring to interjections is in order or parliamentary.

The PRESIDENT: It is out of order and I will remind the minister of that. The minister is addressing the question and will continue.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I will continue. Thank you, Mr President. The government is certainly committed to making sure that we develop the acute services that people need, both in—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: Why have you got the worst results in the country then?

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter will remain silent.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Bonaros asked this question. I think she would like to hear the answer and the opposition will remain silent.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The My Home Hospital program has already provided the equivalent of 5,000 hospital bed days and with a very high level of satisfaction. Particularly in a COVID environment—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —patients appreciate the opportunity to get the care they need in their own home environment.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Opposition will remain silent.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: It significantly reduces the risk of infection. There is always the risk of hospital-based infections with a hospital admission and obviously that—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter, you are on very thin ground.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —concern is increased in the context of COVID. The honourable member also mentioned the challenges at emergency departments. In that regard, again, it was great to be at the Repat—I think two weeks earlier—for the launch of the CARE program (Complex and RestorativE program), which will actually provide a dedicated pathway for older patients and patients with complex needs. They may well have an outreach nurse to their home in response to an urgent call. They might be brought there by the ambulance services so that they can get better access to geriatric expertise—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —and it is readily accessible to them, as well as radiology. The Marshall Liberal government is very committed to meeting the healthcare needs of the people of South Australia. We continue to do so in a creative way to make sure that we target the care to the people who need it.

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