Opposition leader Vincent Tarzia needs to explain if he supports a Liberal policy proposed yesterday in parliament – to charge metro Emergency Department attendees a new patient tax.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, the Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition, Adrian Pederick made the proposition:
"I certainly believe that ramping could be fixed without, and here I am trying to help the Malinauskas Labor Government, trying to help all South Australians, I think it could be fixed without spending a single dollar on any infrastructure.
"…If there was a gap fee for people turning up to emergency that didn't get admitted, I think you'd see a drastic reduction in people attending emergency departments."
The Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition's wild idea comes after former Liberal leader David Speirs said building extra beds was "probably wasted money".
'Labor seem to want to always throw money at the problem … we're increasing by x number of beds' but if it doesn't move the dial, it's actually probably wasted money and it's just not helping South Australians…'
- David Speirs, FiveAA, 19 September 2023
This is in stark contrast to the Malinauskas Government which is building a bigger and better health system, opening hundreds of new beds and hiring hundreds of new doctors, nurses and allied health staff.
The Malinauskas Government is building a bigger health system. Some of the facilities that are being upgraded include:
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- Lyell McEwin Hospital
- Modbury Hospital
- Flinders Medical Centre
- Noarlunga Hospital
- Repat Health Precinct
- Women's and Children's Hospital
- Mount Barker District Soldiers' Memorial Hospital
- Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre
- Kangaroo Island Health Service
- Gawler Health Service
- Southern Fleurieu Health Service
- Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service
- Naracoorte Health Service
- Bordertown Memorial Hospital
- Port Pirie Regional Health Service
- Port Augusta Hospital and Regional Health Service
- Whyalla Hospital and Health Service
- Clare Hospital
- Leigh Creek Health Service
- Yadu Health Clinic
Vision of the Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition's comments can be found here.
As put by Chris Picton
A Senior Liberal yesterday revealed a shocking plan for hospitals – cutting health infrastructure investments and introducing a patient tax for metro EDs.
Vincent Tarzia should come clean if this is his plan for ramping – and if not, needs to come out and admonish his own personal Assistant Minister.
Last time the Liberals were in office, they brought in corporate liquidators, made hundreds of nurses redundant and closed hospital beds.
Now it appears the Liberals would charge patients to go to metro EDs and stop vital investments in new hospital beds.
This Government is pulling every lever it can to reduce pressure on our health system.
We are building 600 new beds, including opening an extra 330 by the end of next year – the equivalent of a new Queen Elizabeth Hospital into the system.
We have also hired more than 1,400 additional doctors, nurses and allied health workers above attrition since coming to government, and are making a generational investment in the SA Ambulance Service.
