Hundreds of frontline health jobs will be cut as a result of the South Australian Government’s overhaul of the hospital system, the State Opposition says.
tate budget papers reveal 981 fewer full-time equivalent positions employed by the health department next financial year.
Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade said 867 of those positions were in local health networks, but the Government later responded by saying it would not cut frontline staff.
Mr Wade said the health system was facing a financial cut of $74 million.
“The Government needs to answer how many doctors, nurses and orderlies will be lost under this state budget,” he said.
“What’s clear from the budget papers is that the heavy lifting in these cuts is going to be taken by the hospital networks.”
The Government unveiled its Transforming Health manifesto earlier this year but was forced to revise aspects of it because of public criticism.
At the time, Health Minister Jack Snelling refused to be drawn on how many jobs would be lost, but a union representing doctors has warned it could be up to 2,000.
“The Government is not going to do an orderly, four-year transformation of health as they said they would,” Mr Wade said.
“What this report suggests is that the first half of those jobs will be in the first year.”
Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis said the Government remained committed to 3,000 job cuts across the public sector over the forward estimates.
He said that number would not include doctors but conceded there “are going to be efficiencies” in health.
“We won’t be cutting frontline staff,” he said.
“Clinicians are the ones who are telling us where the waste is and we’re working on it, but it’s not doctors and nurses.
“As demand presents itself, we’ll have the doctors and nurses there to make sure that South Australians get the best healthcare.”
Mr Koutsantonis said South Australia has more doctors and nurses per capita than any other state.