Regional South Australians to benefit from expanded health records
Electronic health records will be expanded to include mental health, alcohol and drug issues, with SA’s health minister saying it will mean patients receive the same care anywhere in the state.
Electronic health records will be expanded to include mental health, as well as drug and alcohol issues, with Health and Wellbeing Minister Blair Boyer saying it would transform care for people across South Australia.
According to Boyer, consolidating information and services across the health system would allow “seamless, end-to-end support” and ensure both regional and city-based South Australians receive appropriate care.
“The Statewide Integrated Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Health Record will ensure staff across all local health networks have access to a patient’s history in real time to deliver continuity of care,” he said of the $11.9 million project stemming from the Regional Reform Program.
Boyer said that there had previously been no central record with information about a patient’s mental health and substance abuse issues.
But Boyer said health staff would now be able to access a patient’s history and needs and provide more personalised support.
“This initiative will ensure South Australians receive connected, high-quality support, no matter their location or health needs, while supporting clinicians to deliver the best care,” he said.
Wayne Champion, who is CEO of the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network and chair of the Regional Reform Program for Digital Health at SA Health, said the project would “ensure continuity of care for consumers, regardless of where the present in our statewide health system”.
“Not only will this improve clinical care for some of our most vulnerable consumers, but it will also streamline clinicians’ access to crucial patient information as they won’t need to search multiple clinical systems,” he said.
“The information will be available on one secure and discrete system, streamlining patient care and reducing the risk that critical patient information might be missed when busy clinicians need to prioritise direct patient care.”
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Labor made an election commitment to build three dedicated Mental Health Assessment Units, including one next to the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), Lyell McEwin and Noarlunga hospital emergency departments.
The 2026-27 State Budget included $28 million over four years for one of the units, which will be built next to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
The initiative aims to keep people experiencing a mental health, drug or alcohol crisis out of overstimulating emergency departments, where health staff often lack specific mental health training.
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