Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

At the outset, I will also be asking Minister Butler and Minister Roxon to look at the question that has been asked by Senator Xenophon to see if there is anything they can add. The Keith and District Hospital currently receives significant funding from the provision of aged-care services. In 2009-10 the Keith hospital received over $770,000, including an ongoing viability supplement in recognition of the difficulties of scale that smaller regional aged-care providers face. I understand that the hospital has received suggestions from South Australian Country Health about how they may be able to prioritise certain services, such as aged care, and maximise their funding from these streams. I would also encourage the hospital to work through these options further with the South Australian government and the South Australian office of the Department of Health and Ageing. I am advised that the South Australian departmental office—(Time expired)