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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-06-15 Daily Xml
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Regional Health Services

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (17:05): I move:

That this council—

1. Recognises that the Marshall Liberal government put an end to the neglect of regional health care;

2. Recognises that during its four-year term the Marshall Liberal government invested in upgrading facilities and expanding services at regional hospitals including Murray Bridge, Victor Harbor and Yorketown;

3. Recognises that the Marshall Liberal government invested in a new emergency department at Mount Barker Hospital, expanded the Gawler Hospital emergency department, and initiated work on a new Barossa hospital;

4. Recognises that the Marshall Liberal government expanded renal dialysis services and country chemotherapy units; and

5. Recognises that the Marshall Liberal government invested heavily to clear the capital works backlog at country hospitals left by years of Labor neglect.

The Marshall Liberal government committed to delivering better health services closer to home for regional South Australians, and that is exactly what we delivered. More than $70 million was invested in our first three years of government, and more than $200 million was committed to regional health infrastructure.

In 2008, Labor tried to downgrade, even close, dozens of hospitals in country South Australia. After 16 long years of Labor, in the Marshall Liberal government South Australia's regional communities finally had a government that listened and took action to deliver better health care closer to home. In Labor's last term of government they spent a mere $14 million in regional health infrastructure, or just $3.5 million per year. That equates to the Marshall Liberal government outspending Labor on regional health capital projects by more than five to one.

The Marshall Liberal government was delivering a $140 million 10-year plan to address the country health maintenance backlog, a backlog created through the appalling neglect of successive Labor governments. We also decentralised decision-making from Hindmarsh Square, creating six country local health network boards so that more decisions about country health could be made in the country by those who live and work in the country.

We invested in mental health services to ensure regional South Australians could access intensive support more quickly and with improved continuity of care. When the Marshall Liberal government came to government in 2018 we did so with a commitment to rebalance the health system back towards mental health. Our landmark investment of $163.5 million in mental health in the 2021-22 state budget demonstrated our dedication to improving community access to mental health supports.

In addition to annual spending of $530 million statewide on mental health, the budget investment included $12 million for eight extra psychiatric intensive care beds focused on country patients. A further $5 million investment over two years to support the needs of the mental health workforce was particularly targeted at regional areas to support attraction and retention of nursing and allied health mental health clinicians. Mount Gambier hospital's six-bed mental health inpatient unit, with up to six beds overflow capacity, increased oversight and psychiatric input to support current demand for mental health services in the region.

We upgraded facilities and expanded services at regional hospitals. Works funded under the former Marshall Liberal government are underway, works that include a new emergency department at Mount Barker, works that include a massive expansion of the Gawler hospital emergency department, works that include progressing a new Barossa hospital.

We invested $15.75 million to expand hospital care and dialysis services in South Australia's rapidly growing region of Victor Harbor, a commitment made in partnership with the former federal Coalition government. This project adds a new 12-bay emergency department. A new six-chair renal dialysis unit will also be built at the Southern Fleurieu Health Service, increasing the number of dialysis chairs in the region from four to six and reducing the waiting time for critical dialysis services.

As part of the $140 million regional assets sustainment program, the Yorketown Hospital was to benefit from a new decontamination unit and procedure room. The Marshall Liberal government recognised the importance of boosting regional health services throughout all of South Australia. We recognised that regional health services do not start and stop in the Limestone Coast.

The state and federal Liberals partnered for an investment of $13.2 million to build a new emergency department at Mount Barker hospital in South Australia, improving important services for people throughout the Adelaide Hills region. Admissions to the Mount Barker hospital emergency department have almost tripled since 2015. The funding will deliver the new emergency department that will cater for up to 22,000 presentations per year over the next decade. Thousands of locals will benefit from the Marshall Liberal government's $15-million expansion of the Gawler hospital emergency department, which includes increasing the capacity of the department from four treatment spaces to 16, as well as an interface with the recently completed short-stay unit.

After years of neglect under Labor, the Marshall Liberal government delivered world-class health care to South Australia. We delivered world-class health care for all South Australians: South Australians living in our metropolitan area, South Australians living in our peri-urban centres and South Australians living in our regions.

The Marshall Liberal government committed to delivering a new Barossa hospital, a project cancelled by Labor two decades ago. In February, clinical service planners were appointed for the new Barossa hospital. I want to congratulate the member for Schubert and the shadow minister for health, who have secured a commitment from the Labor government that it will continue with the Marshall Liberal government's plan to purchase land for the Barossa hospital.

We expanded renal dialysis services and country chemotherapy. The Marshall Liberal government doubled the number of medium complexity country chemotherapy units, with expanded units in Victor Harbor, the Riverland and Port Lincoln. We expanded renal dialysis services at the Mount Gambier and Ceduna hospitals. We introduced more flexible arrangements through the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme for people who need to travel long distances for specialised medical treatment. We invested $20 million in the Rural Health Workforce Strategy to strengthen our rural health workforce.

In February this year, we signed off on a once-in-a-generation deal with South Australia's regional GPs. The landmark agreement will invest an estimated $188 million over two years to help attract and retain GP services in regional South Australia and address the pay gap that opened up between what our rural GPs receive and what GPs earn in other places.

The Marshall Liberal government put an end to the neglect of regional health care. The Marshall Liberal government listened, took action and delivered better health care closer to home for all South Australians. I would like to acknowledge my colleague, the Hon. Stephen Wade, for the outstanding job that he did as minister for health during the Marshall Liberal government's reign.

Every South Australian is hoping that the Malinauskas Labor government can continue the excellent work of its predecessor and capitalise on the strong foundation it has inherited. Every South Australian is hoping that the Malinauskas Labor government can deliver on the more than $3 billion in election commitments it made, without saddling the state with crippling debt, surging power prices, increased water and ESL bills and without those nasty hidden fees and charges skyrocketing. I suggest we do not hold our breath.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. J.E. Hanson.

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