We call on the Minister, Jack Snelling, to stop these cuts and protect public pathology.

Our medical scientists tell us that such cuts will lead to lengthy waits for diagnosis, longer hospital stays, poor health outcomes and increases in repeat presentations for care.

Without a strong public sector the effectiveness of our medical science will decline, while the cost to the public will rise. Public pathology does most of the work that private pathology doesn't make money on, yet Minister Jack Snelling and the South Australian Government ignores this. In fact, they plan to cut hundreds of jobs from public pathology.

SA Pathology is the backbone of public health in South Australia.

Pathology is involved in 70% of medical treatment decisions, and 60% of Australians will require pathology services at least once a year. Despite this, the South Australian Government wants to cut hundreds of jobs from your public pathology service.

When jobs are cut in pathology, people don’t just lose their jobs, diagnosis is delayed and South Australians will stay sicker for longer.

Our medical scientists study and diagnose diseases such as meningococcal and leukemia, and work directly with our doctors to better treat patients and find a cure. Pathology services are core to the delivery of an efficient functioning health service yet the South Australian Government plans to seriously compromise this by cutting hundreds of jobs.

Simply put, cutting 278 jobs from SA Pathology is dangerous, short sighted and will only result in costly delays in diagnosis. We know that the sooner a patient can be diagnosed, the quicker they can begin the right treatment plan and recover.

It is time for the Minister Jack Snelling to value medical science and protect public pathology.