Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-10-15 Daily Xml

Contents

Women's and Children's Hospital

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:41): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding hospitals.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: The opposition obtained documents about a KPMG consultancy at the Women's and Children's Hospital that examines cost reduction initiatives such as reducing nursing hours per patient day. Documents reveal that the $1 million contract, with an option to extend to $3 million over three years, didn't go to tender, and discussions between executives revealed that no evaluation plan was ever completed.

Despite SA Health Chief Executive, Dr Chris McGowan, claiming he has nothing to do with decisions about the hospital, his signature signed off on the engagement of KPMG in a briefing from him to the hospital CEO, Lindsey Gough. My questions to the minister are:

1. Did the KPMG procurement fail to meet expected standards and processes?

2. Will nursing FTEs be cut at the Women's and Children's Hospital or not?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:42): I am certainly happy to take the honourable member's questions on notice. I'm not aware of those details.