Joanna Tucker, Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Yorke Peninsula hospitals are falling behind the community’s expectations.
That’s the grim outlook from Member for Narungga, Fraser Ellis.
“The government is there to serve the community, and currently, I don’t think any hospital on YP is providing the services the community expects,” Mr Ellis said.
“Port Pirie Hospital has its welcome upgrade, but funding any upgrades of Wallaroo, Maitland and Yorketown hospitals are not yet forthcoming.
“The more we can provide regionally, the less people have to get flown to Adelaide and the less ambulances will be in ramps waiting.”
The State Government recently announ ced an $8 million upgrade to Port Augusta Hospital, $15m in developments at Whyalla Hospital and a total of $20.6 million across four years for Port Pirie Hospital.
However, there have been no announcements this year of major funding upgrades for the three YP hospitals.
The YP population is expected to increase by up to 10,000 in the next decade, with the 80-and-over age group set to increase by more than 72 per cent, according to the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network strategic plan and PlanSA.
PlanSA predicts the Mid North, which encompasses a large region that includes Port Pirie and Clare, will only increase its population by a maximum of 2236 by 2041.
Mr Ellis said it was scandalous that Wallaroo Hospital only had 21 beds, despite the large area and population it serviced.
“We know we’re not going to get neurosurgeons at Wallaroo Hospital, but where reasonable, the more we can scale up and provide regionally, the better it will be,” he said.
Mr Ellis said the chemotherapy unit at Wallaroo Hospital was a great investment by the previous state government, but was only open two days per week.
“I understand there are some difficulties in making sure we have the appropriate workforce to treat highlevel chemotherapy patients, but these are not insurmountable problems for what I think is a major hospital,” Mr Ellis said.
Leaders demand hospital fix
Mr Ellis also said Port Pirie hospital should be moved into the Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network so that Wallaroo Hospital could be the major hospital for the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network.
“It would be a more equitable task if that health network was charged with the Port Pirie Hospital, and then the YNLHN would be a far more manageable size.”
“If we can take one of the major (hospitals) ones out and put it into a health network that doesn’t have the same challenges, it’s going to make their (YNLHN) job a lot easier.”
Mr Ellis organised a petition calling for improved health services on YP, which was signed by 11,000 people.
The petition needed 10,000 to formally trigger parliamentary action, and was presented to parliament last November.
It features a few specific requests, including the reclassification of Wallaroo Hospital as the major hospital for Narungga because it serves the largest constituent catchment area, and for hospital funding to be determined by population size and needs — rather than the historical activity statistics as is the case currently.
Mr Ellis said he would be back in parliament in a fortnight, and he intends to chase up the petition vigorously.
“I wonder if they are deliberately sitting on it,” Mr Ellis said.
Government committed to health access – Picton
Health and Wellbeing Minister Chris Picton said the State Government was committed to ensuring South Australians had access to quality health care, no matter where they live.
“This is no different on Yorke Peninsula, with the opening of a new dedicated rehabilitation facility at Wallaroo Hospital in February, 2023,” Mr Picton said.
“We are also working with the Federal Government on the Single Employer Model to attract up to 60 rural generalists and GP trainees to regional SA.
The Single Employer Model allows rural generalists and GP trainees to be employed by a single employer for up to four years while they complete their training.
This model has created new junior medical officer positions at Wallaroo and Port Pirie.
YNLHN has got eight new trainees signed up and moving to the region through this model, according to Member for Narungga, Fraser Ellis.
“Hopefully that is evidence that it will work,” Mr Ellis said.
Mr Picton said the State Government had also increased the YNLHN budget by $45.9 million in 2024-25, or 26.5 per cent more than what was provided by the former Liberal State Government in 2021-22.
He also acknowledged that Federal Government Medicare funding was disproportionately distributed to metropolitan residents, rather than those in regional areas.
“This is one of the many issues the states are raising with the Federal Government during the current health reform agreement negotiations.”
YNLHN chief executive Roger Kirchner said Wallaroo Hospital worked with medical specialists to ensure they could provide the highest level of care at Wallaroo Hospital.
“Australia is facing a critical GP shortage with regional areas experiencing particularly acute shortages,” Mr Kirchner said.
“To address this, a range of strategies are being implemented to provide training and professional opportunities in the Yorke and Northern region.
Mr Kirchner said these strategies included a recently announced Virtual Training Hub, as well as the opportunities created through the Single Employer Model.
In response to claims the hospital’s chemotherapy was not adequately supported, Mr Kirchner said the hospital could only can deliver low-risk chemotherapy services.
“We are very thankful for the local GPs that continue to support the Wallaroo Hospital, particularly in support of birthing and surgical services,” Mr Kirchner said.
“We continue to collaborate with local GP practices to attract trainee medical officers and provide them with educational experiences across both hospital and primary care.”
Related story: Local doctors ‘no longer working’ at Wallaroo hospital
This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 20 August 2024.
