Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The South Australian health system is in crisis. Lives are being put at risk by the Marshall Liberal government and their neglect of the health system. We've heard deeply-alarming reports from workers, including hospital orderlies, cleaners, sterilisation technicians and patient services assistants. They are telling us that understaffing and a lack of training, PPE and infection control processes are putting patients' lives at risk.

This public health crisis has been the subject of the campaign by South Australian public health workers and the United Workers Union and that campaign has ramped up today. These essential workers, our health heroes, if you will, are reporting major understaffing and safety concerns at four Adelaide major hospitals—the Women's and Children's Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Adelaide and the Flinders Medical Centre. These major hospitals are reporting major issues. Just one example we have heard from sterilisation technicians is that they are being directed to reuse single-use face shields. At a time when we are trying to encourage people to take major precautions, it is unconscionable that our health system is advising workers to not do the same.

Reports like this have prompted unprecedented action from the United Workers Union in undertaking safety checks, and I commend them for this action. It does come amongst wider action that has been taken, including work bans across more than 25 hospitals in South Australia, aged-care facilities and other related health organisations, and it comes amid ongoing privatisation attacks and job security attacks on these essential workers by the Marshall government. I stand in solidarity with these workers and with the United Workers Union.