Fixing South Australia’s Health System and Mental Health Crisis

South Australia’s health system is in crisis. Ambulance ramping, emergency department delays, and exhausted frontline staff are symptoms of a system that’s been neglected for far too long. And behind the scenes, thousands of South Australians are falling through the cracks, especially when it comes to mental health.

I’ve spent years listening to clinicians, nurses, patients, and families. I’ve chaired committees, introduced motions, and demanded action. Because when our health system fails, it’s not just numbers on a spreadsheet, it’s lives lost, trauma deepened, and communities left behind.

Mental Health: The Forgotten Emergency

• 19,000 South Australians Missing Out

  The Unmet Needs in Mental Health report, commissioned by the Chief Psychiatrist, found that 19,000 people with severe mental illness are unable to access the support they need. That’s 19,000 people at risk of crisis, hospitalisation, or worse.
• A Roadmap Ignored

  The report recommended $125 million in annual funding to close the gap. Nearly two years later, just 2% of that has been committed. I moved a motion in Parliament demanding the government respond—and I won’t stop until they do.
• Psychosocial Services Save Lives

  We need urgent investment in community-based mental health services that prevent crisis before it happens. People in distress don’t care which level of government is responsible. They just want help, and they need it now.

Health System Reform: What I’m Fighting For

• Safe Staffing and Working Conditions
  
I’ve called for mandated staffing ratios, safe working hours, and protections against violence and bullying for our frontline workers.
• Ambulance Ramping Solutions
  
I support a mandated transfer-of-care policy to ensure patients are admitted within 30 minutes of arrival, backed by appropriate staffing.
• Cardiac Surgery for Children
  I’ve advocated for a cardiac surgery unit at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital to prevent traumatic interstate transfers for life-saving procedures.
• Support for Vulnerable Families
  I’m pushing to reinstate the Infant Therapeutic Reunification Service, which helps prevent trauma and supports families in crisis.
• Public Health Investment
  We must invest in prevention—targeting obesity, diabetes, smoking, alcohol abuse, and physical inactivity, so fewer people end up in hospital in the first place.

This Is Personal

I’ve heard harrowing stories in committee hearings—patients waiting hours in agony, families torn apart by mental illness, and clinicians pushed to breaking point. These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re systemic failures. And I won’t stop fighting until we fix them.

Let’s Build a Health System That Works for Everyone

If you’ve been impacted by our broken health system or want to support the campaign for reform, I invite you to join me. Share your story, sign the petition, and help us demand better.

Because health care should be a right. Not a privilege.