Public patients will be moved to private care for elective surgeries in a bid to alleviate pressure on South Australian hospitals. South Australian public hospital patients will be pushed to private hospitals for elective surgeries in a move SA Health hopes will alleviate overcrowding. Described as a “landmark agreement” by Health Minister Stephen Wade, 13 private providers will take on public patients to “fast track” services. The government says a new Patient Services Panel, managed by SA Health, will speed up elective surgery wait times and help free beds in public hospitals. “We are better coordinating and better utilising South Australia’s health services to ease pressure on our hospitals and better support the health and wellbeing of all South Australians,” Wade said. RELATED: SA Health Chief Executive Dr Chris McGowan says the agreement, which will run for an initial period of three years, hopes to “reduce red tape” for […]