Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade says Repat sale was to return $20m, cancelling contract saves SA much more

SALE of the Repatriation General Hospital site to a developer was expected to deliver $20 million to taxpayers under a deal which has been abandoned by the new State Government. VOTE NOW: Do you support the decision?

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SALE of the Repatriation General Hospital site to a developer was expected to deliver just $20 million to taxpayers under a deal which has been abandoned by the new State Government.

Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade has torn up plans for a $200 million private redevelopment of the site and said he will soon reveal a process for a new health precinct.

Mr Wade on Wednesday also said it was possible that patients with the type of needs that were to be treated at the disgraced Oakden aged care come could go to the Repat.

The Government during the election campaign called for Ward 18 at the site to be used to care for aged and mental health patients being moved out of Oakden following revelations of abuse and neglect.

They were ultimately housed at the Northgate aged care facility.

Mr Wade said there would be a “genuine health precinct” at the Repat.

“I’ll have more to say about the early deliverables on the Repat site, but we’re having very active discussions within SA Health about some of the assets that will be used for public health services going forward,” he said.

“We’ve already identified the hydrotherapy pool, Ward 18 and the surgical facilities as key assets which we believe should be used.”

Mr Wade said early services could begin returning in the “next month or two”.

Former chief psychiatrist Aaron Groves, who authored a damning report that resulted in Oakden’s closure, has told Parliament that Ward 18 could potentially be made suitable.

Mr Wade said clinicians were “very keen” to examine Ward 18 for aged and mental health care, and accused the former government of leaving a bed “under supply” in the area.

“The beds that we would be able to supply in Ward 18 will be an important step in restoring the quality of service that people need in that sector.

“When the Ward 18 facility is reconfigured ... I believe that this will be a southern hub.”

Mr Wade said abandoning the deal would “save” taxpayers money by making use of facilities on the site, which the former government was to offload for “about $20 million”.

“The assets that have been saved through the termination of the contract, in my mind, have far greater value for the people of SA.”

“It would cost us $20 million to just replace Ward 18.”

The Repatriation General Hospital.

Opposition treasury spokesman Stephen Mullighan said there had been “a long public debate in the lead-up to the election”, and the Government must keep to its election promises.

“The previous Labor government chose to invest very heavily in building new facilities and providing new health services that were previously at the Repat ,” he said.

“We’ve had a state election, there’s a new Liberal government. It’s up to (Premier) Steven Marshall and Stephen Wade to tell South Australians what their well-developed, well-costed policy for how they are going to reopen the Repat Hospital will be.

“It certainly seems like Steven Marshall and Stephen Wade are retreating from their commitment.”

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