1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Waiting lists to see a specialist in our hospitals. I 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: heard people on five double a breakfast on this issue 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: this morning. Certainly a long wait at the moment, up 4 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: to seven years. That's unreal and there'd be some worse 5 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: than others, I imagine. Connie Benaros has been chair of 6 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 1: a health committee looking into health in the essay Parliament 7 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: and joins me. Now, Connie, good morning. 8 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 2: Good morning Angles. Wanting to your listeners, mat you this. 9 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: Is quite a long wait seven years. Has it ever 10 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: been this lot? 11 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: Well? Look, I know when this government came in, you know, 12 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:33,319 Speaker 2: one of the first things they said that they were 13 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 2: going to address was the wait times, and there were 14 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 2: some reductions initially, But whichever way you spend, don't accept 15 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 2: the boy, isn't it. And the fact that we've got 16 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 2: these differences between post codes in terms of you know, 17 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: how long it would take you to access something at 18 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 2: the Lowell mcuwn versus the RaaS even more concerning. But 19 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 2: this isn't new. At the committee that you referred to 20 00:00:57,480 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 2: has been hearing this evidence for a very long time 21 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 2: and importantly, and what we have to focus on is 22 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 2: that this is all the stuff that contributes to the 23 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: health crisis. We talk about ramping and how we're going 24 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 2: to fix ramping, and how we're going to fix the emergencies. 25 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,759 Speaker 2: These are the things that contribute. Because if someone goes 26 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 2: seven years, if that's the wait twelve months to see 27 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 2: a gynecologist, you don't know what the end result of that. 28 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 2: But the one thing you do know is it is 29 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 2: going to impact our ed, it's going to impact ramping, 30 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 2: and it's going to impact the overall health crisis. 31 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: So that's the part we haven't got right in the 32 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: paper today. Talking of the gynecologists. So the quote is 33 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: if you're seeing one in the Royal Adelaide Hospital, it's 34 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,199 Speaker 1: a weight of one month, and in the scheme of things, 35 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: that's quite acceptable if you I mean, you prefer to 36 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: be there the next day, but one month not bad 37 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: considering the Lowell McEwan it's forty four months, which is 38 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: four years. 39 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 2: How I imagine if imagine if you were going in 40 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: for one of your che x with aguynocologist and you 41 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 2: had to wait forty four months, and that's in that 42 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 2: forty four month period, something that could have been prevented. 43 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 2: It turns into something that is, you know, deadly. These 44 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 2: are the concerns that we have that you are actually 45 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 2: putting people's lives at risk with these prolonged ways. In 46 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 2: a month, yes, okay, I go and do my test, 47 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 2: I get my results. Doctors kick into action. If I'm 48 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 2: waiting forty four months, you're allowing you know, a condition 49 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 2: to spread to the point where a person's life is 50 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 2: putting this being put at risk. That's not acceptable. That's 51 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 2: absolutely not acceptable. And I think that's where, you know, 52 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 2: one of the areas where we are absolutely failing. It's 53 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 2: that systemic you know that the root and branch overall. 54 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 2: Where is the strategic plan here? Because these are the 55 00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 2: things that are contributing to the health crisis, These are 56 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 2: the reasons why people are turning up at ads in 57 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 2: the you know, and we find ourselves not being able 58 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 2: to deal with the ramping crisis and whatever else. 59 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: But what do we need to fix it? Is it 60 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: just a matter of money, employing more specialists? I mean, 61 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: what needs to happen here? 62 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 2: Anyone will tell you. And there's a really interesting stats 63 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 2: that we've heard in that committee, but anyone will just 64 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 2: getting more people just to flow through is one of 65 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 2: those issues. And yes, we need more and if you 66 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: spoke to the r SGP or the AMA and evidence, 67 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 2: they've said, this needs to start at the university level 68 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 2: in terms of the number of entrants we're having. It 69 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 2: also needs to focus on where doctors are actually choosing 70 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 2: to specialize and how many of these people are in 71 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 2: the public system versus the private system. And that's a 72 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 2: really critical point here because when we're talking about a 73 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 2: cost of living crisis, the reason, the reason that so 74 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 2: many more people for going to the public system, Matthew, 75 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 2: is because we're dumping our private health. So you can't 76 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 2: afford private health, you end up on a public system, 77 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 2: you end up waiting for forty more four months and 78 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 2: hope to God that nothing goes wrong in that forty 79 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 2: four months versus that one month. 80 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: See, this is all part of the problem because we 81 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: are dumping private health. And yesterday I spoke with the 82 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: Private Hospitals Association and the number of private hospitals around 83 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: the place, and including here in essay and day surgeries 84 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: as well in urology, in gastroenterology that have closed and 85 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: so over burdened the public health system. And so therefore 86 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: this is just a worsening issue. 87 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely it's systemic. And even if you are 88 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,600 Speaker 2: a private patient, how many I know plenty who are 89 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 2: choosing to turn up to the public system because they 90 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 2: know that even as a private patient, even though they're 91 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 2: paying their cover, the out of pocket costs of turning 92 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 2: up the hospital are going to be too much, so 93 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 2: they choose to go to a public system. People are struggling, 94 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 2: and we need to look at this holistically because we 95 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 2: know from the private health sector that people are doing 96 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 2: exactly that they're dumping their private health cover or they're 97 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 2: turning up to hospital and not being to be treated 98 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 2: as a public patient. And the public system isn't coping. 99 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, clearly not all right, So and that makes the 100 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: system worse obviously, as people do turn up and are 101 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 1: just over burdens and already over burden systems, so exponentially 102 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: things get worse. 103 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 2: It's one thing on top of another. It's the compounding effects. 104 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 2: We talk about the mental health impact on EDS and 105 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 2: the Royal Ladelaide Hospital for him, this is another one 106 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 2: of those compounding factors. And you leave people untreated, it 107 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 2: becomes an emergency. There are so many layers to this. 108 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 2: You can't just focus on one. You need to focus 109 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 2: on all of them and the link between them, and 110 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 2: this links back to the FEDS and Medicare, and there 111 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,679 Speaker 2: are so many different elements in this. But we can't 112 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 2: be looking at all these things. We can't be looking 113 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,799 Speaker 2: at ramping in isolation. Maew, that's not that's not the answer. 114 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 2: We need a We need a holistic you know, we 115 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 2: need a holistic approach to this. And cost of living 116 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 2: has the factor into that as well. 117 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: We almost need to start again with health, don't we 118 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: on a national basis. 119 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,480 Speaker 2: Pretty much pretty much? And I think everyone knows that, 120 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 2: and as said of how much it's going to cost. 121 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 2: But in the meantime, we are spending you know, ten 122 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 2: times that trying to deal with a crisis. It doesn't 123 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 2: make sense. It's the prevention rather than you know, the 124 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 2: ambulance at the bottom. 125 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: Of the clip is financial. 126 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 2: Absolutely, and that's the part where we're stumbling. I don't 127 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:55,039 Speaker 2: have all the answers, but I know that they're the 128 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 2: issues that we're being told in evidence and through the 129 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 2: committee and the clinicians talking about every day. They're the issues. 130 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 2: How we address them. The experts know, but they can't 131 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 2: be afraid of the costs because we're spending way. 132 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: More than that now, absolutely consting us. Yeah, that's the 133 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: bottom line it is. That's right, Connie, appreciate your time. 134 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 2: Thank you, Thank you very much. 135 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: Connie Benaros sa best stubberhuse MP in State Parliament.