Premier Jay Weatherill has refused to say whether the closure of the Repatriation General Hospital will be part of the State Government’s latest plans to transform the health sector.

Weatherill told 891 ABC Radio this morning that he wouldn’t discuss the possible closure of the Repat at Daw Park ahead of the Government’s release of its “transforming health” blueprint on Tuesday.

“What I’m proposing to do is to lay it all out when we set out the challenges of our healthcare system, our drive to improve quality and what that means for changes in the system,” he said.

However, some more details about the plans did emerge today.

Health Minister Jack Snelling has announced the State Government will spend around $7 million commissioning a private operator or operators of 40 aged care beds to take patients out of the public system who have already been assessed as ready to leave hospital.

InDaily revealed in September that more than five per cent of the state’s hospital beds were occupied by aged care patients waiting for placement in residential care or supported accommodation.

Snelling said today that around 80 to 100 patients are now in that situation.

“While this is through no fault of the patient, who has received their care and is keen to leave the hospital, it equates to a Noarlunga Hospital taken up by people who don’t need to be there,” he said.

“This has the knock-on effect of keeping the patient in a bay in the ED, and blocking other patients from being seen by a clinician.”

“Part of the Transforming Health process is ensuring that our existing acute hospital beds are being utilised by patients who need acute care.

“By freeing up more acute beds, it will also help our doctors and nurses to improve patient flow through the hospital.”

Snelling said no decision had been made about which operator or operators would be commissioned under the plan.

An advisory group of clinicians will also be set up to work on ways to reduce aged care bed blockage.

The Government has already announced it plans to establish three “super” EDs at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Lyell McEwin Hospital and the Flinders Medical Centre, with EDs at hospitals such as Modbury and the Queen Elizabeth no longer to receive critical care emergency patients.