Health Minister Chris Picton has defended the increase in budget allocation of $4million to the Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN) last financial year.

According to the 2023/24 report of the Auditor-General, the LCLHN fee-for-service expenditure was $28,164,000.

Independent Member for MacKillop Nick McBride asked Mr Picton in the House of Assembly last month to explain what the increase was for.

“The fee-for-service expenditure for the Limestone Coast Local Health Network last financial year was $28,164,000, an increase of $4million from 2023. Can the minister explain exactly what fee-for-service relates to and whether that is the amount spent on employing locum doctors?” Mr McBride asked.

Referring to the member’s questions, Mr Picton said he suspected the member was exactly right that a large proportion of the fee-for-service expenditure in the Limestone Coast network would be in relation to locum doctors.

“We are in a situation, not just in South Australia but across the country, where a real change has happened over the past decade where we have seen an increasing localisation of the medical workforce in regional areas,” the minister said.

And he said, “that has certainly, I think, not been a positive development.”

He admitted that this had clearly led to increased costs right across the country.

“And I do not think that there is any argument that it has led to benefits in terms of patients. That is why we are working so hard to try to turn the tide on that, and that is why I have been determined that we implement what is known as the single employer model to enable us to train more doctors in regional areas who will become SA Health employees working between general practice in primary care and our acute care settings in our country hospitals.

“I have also been very clear and have put a lot of pressure on our local health networks to have better connections with their GPs in their local area, and certainly that is true in the Limestone Coast and also elsewhere.

“I note the member for Narungga is here as well.

“A couple of years ago when we came to office—and the member would be aware of this—in the Mid North area, relations between GPs and the local health network had completely broken down.

“I am really pleased that there has been a significant turnaround in that from the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network, and there is a much stronger connection.

“That is not to say that everything is perfect, but we have much stronger engagement with our GPs in that area, and that is certainly what we would like to see across the state.”

This article appeared in the Naracoorte News.