4 minute read
We Won! PSA and allies save SA Pathology from privatisation
Only weeks prior to his election as Premier, Steven Marshall told PSA members at a union forum that a Liberal government led by him did not have a privatisation agenda. But by the time his first state budget came around, just months after the election, that promise was proven empty.
Along with the privatisation of the Adelaide Remand Centre and substantial budgets cuts, the state government set SA Pathology a budget savings target that was unachievable without cutting hundreds of jobs. And hanging over SA Pathology’s head was the threat of privatisation — if they didn’t make the savings they would be sold off to a private for-profit operator.
From the minute the state government announced it was considering the privatisation of SA Pathology, the PSA re-energised its campaign to keep the service public.
PSA staff researched other jurisdictions where public pathology had been privatised, and it became apparent very quickly there were only tales of woe. From just over the border in Victoria to the Irish capital of Dublin, we identified a trail of destruction and scandal. Private pathology providers have a significant track record of cutting the workforce, sending tests interstate and even offshore for analysis, and have been guilty of numerous scandals where catastrophic mistakes had cost lives.
We were not going to accept the same for our state’s public pathology service and neither were our dedicated members and the general public. We knew that in SA Pathology we had a service that was second-to-none. SA Pathology is respected around the globe for its high quality service, its research capabilities and first class training. Private pathology providers, on the other hand, are renowned for sacking experienced scientists, closing down laboratories, slow turnaround times, higher fees, and cherry-picking the simpler, more profitable tests.
Community pressure
The PSA’s efforts to save SA Pathology was based around community awareness raising and included a strong media and communications strategy that tied in with our ‘SA Not For Sale’ campaign. At every opportunity we made comment in the mainstream media, but importantly we engaged members and wider public through social media, campaign leafleting at strategic locations, and as part of a targeted radio campaign highlighting the perils of privatisation.
Over the course of the campaign the PSA reached more than one third of the SA population with our message. We highlighted scandals like the incorrect analysis of hundreds of cervical cancer tests which has led to the death of dozens of women in Ireland and numerous local examples of downsizing that has led to inferior health care for Australians. And we made the community aware of what they would lose if their public pathology service fell into private hands.
In total our Facebook posts reached 355,000 South Australians and generated significant engagement. We also started a petition during the COVID-19 outbreak, in which SA Pathology’s world class credentials shone through. The petition gained thousands of signatures in a matter of days. PSA members were active in sharing our message and making comments on news and politicans’ Facebook pages.
Our narrative was simple: only public pathology services can ensure all South Australians are provided with the healthcare they deserve. SA Pathology, like other public services, has been paid for over decades by South Australians through our taxes and no government has a mandate to sell off these assets to wealthy multinationals. This message resonated with the community who were highly engaged in our posts on Facebook.
The PSA's "I Am Essential" campaign featured SA Pathology members
Leading the world
Our ‘SA Not For Sale’ campaign is showing that there is clear support in our community for public services. The state government, despite being ideologically wedded to privatisation, is well of aware of this fact. When it became clear SA Pathology was leading not only the nation but the world in its response to COVID-19, the state government was full of praise for the agency they were once considering selling off. Barely a day went by where the Premier wasn’t telling the media how well SA Pathology was managing our testing regime and talking about its innovative strategies. It was never going to be popular to sell off a public service.
To date, SA Pathology has tested more than 100,000 South Australians and has managed to reduce the test result turnaround times to a matter of hours. There is no doubt that SA Pathology’s performance during the pandemic and the efforts of SA Pathology staff to keep the ship afloat in the face of devastating budget cuts helped in the outcome, but PSA members and the South Australian community played a major role in saving this critical public health service and we should all be proud of this achievement.
The PSA welcomes the state government’s announcement that they will build a new SA Pathology headquarters. We call on them to provide more funding to ensure SA Pathology has the human and technical resources to continue to provide world class public pathology to the South Australian community.
Wherever it has taken place, privatisation of pathology services has led to poorer services.
