How we’ll tackle Delta: SA’s ‘Covid-ready’ plan includes more beds, doctors, nurses and health jobs

SA’s finalised road map out of Covid-19 is “days away” from being finalised the state’s top cop says, with news the Covid health workforce will swell to almost 2000.

The state government will recruit up to 350 extra workers, including doctors, to deal with the impending arrival of Covid in the community, swelling the new workforce to almost 2000.

It comes as Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said on Tuesday the state’s roadmap out of Covid-19 is “days away” from being finalised.

The fast-track recruitment of hospital staff including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative staff, porters and cleaners is in addition to the 1200 graduate nurses to come on line from next month and a further 370 nurses being sought.

The additional staff will start to join the workforce from next month as part of the government’s $132.5m “Covid-ready” plan as the state moves toward reopening borders when vaccination rates hit 80 per cent.

Tuesday’s transition committee made no changes to Covid restrictions or to border closures.

Mr Stevens said the transition committee engaged in a “very long and detailed discussion” during a rare 90 minute meeting on Tuesday.

He said he would expect, at this point, that “will be our prevailing situation until we get the 80 per cent vaccination target, which we’re all aiming for”.

The Sunday Mail revealed that Friday, December 3 is looming as the date for when the state will reach that target. At present almost 60 per cent of adults older than 16 are fully vaccinated.

Mr Stevens said the committee’s conversations, which he declined to detail, were “robust” and related to the “Covid-ready plan for South Australia”.

“This is when we hit that 80 per cent target, we open up our borders to other states and territories in Australia and the inevitable consequence of that is that we will see Covid-19 seeding into our community,” he said.

“The task now is to make sure that we’re prepared for that, that the healthcare system is capable of managing that. And that we have a range of measures in place that make sure all South Australians get through that transition from being virtually Covid free to having Covid as a part of our community.”

He said details were still being finalised, but he expected quarantine for people from hotspots and restrictions on unvaccinated travellers.

After analysing preliminary modelling from the Doherty Institute, he said more work was being undertaken with various agencies including SA Health. He expected the plan would be released “sooner rather than later”.

SA chief public health officer professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Health Minister Stephen Wade said “almost all” of the additional workforce will be employed by the end of January to deal with the consequences that comes with reopening.

“If South Australia has an outbreak similar to the New South Wales outbreak, we would have to manage 3000 to 4000 active Covid-19 cases at any one time by February next year,” Mr Wade said.

“Of these 95 per cent of the active cases are expected to have mild symptoms and care can be delivered in the community settings of homes and medi-hotels, with clinical, social and mental health supports.”

SA Health estimates 300 beds could be required to cater for the five per cent of patients who are acutely unwell and need hospital admission.

Mr Wade said the government’s plan included $123m for additional 392 beds – 213 in hospitals and 179 in the community, including beds at residential aged care facilities or in-home care.

“A major focus of the Covid-ready plan is out-of-hospital services that will bring nurses, doctors, allied health professionals to a person’s home or nursing home,” he said. “Remaining at home and having health professionals come to you is a huge relief during what can be a stressful time.”

Mr Wade was alongside Premier Steven Marshall on Monday to promote in-home care, similar to SA Health programs already in place such as rehabilitation in the home.

The My Home Hospital project is now treating patients in their own homes such as Ray Forrest, 81, who had a cancer removed from his leg, freeing up acute hospital beds.

Ray Forrest, 81, with his wife Colleen. Ray had cancer removed from his leg and is being treated under the My Home Hospital program, which will be increased to deal with Covid. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

“We know a lot of people are currently in hospital who could do better in their own home,” Mr Marshall said.

“It’s a much better service for people who are currently in hospital, most people want to get out, but they can’t unless they get the appropriate level of care and the appropriate environment at home.

“There has been hospital-in-the-home services for quite some time. What we are doing now is turbocharging so we can free up an additional 149 beds in our hospital system.”

The remaining 30 community beds were previously announced at the Repat Health Precinct.