South Australia's suburban hospitals will get a $1.1 billion funding boost in Thursday's state budget as the state government looks to prioritise health spending.
The cash injection will include a new emergency department, operating theatre and day surgery suite as part of $250 million upgrade to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital along with new outpatient and medical imaging services at the western suburbs facility.
The QEH will also become home for the state's most advanced brain and spinal injury rehabilitation service while cardiac services, which had been slated to move will now remain, along with cancer and respiratory services.
Premier Jay Weatherill says the spending commitment at the QEH and at other hospitals will deliver state-of-the-art health care.
"This is what Labor does. Public health care is one of Labor's great policy projects," he said.
"This is one of the great policy projects for the nation."
The spending commitment comes as the government prepares to open the new $2 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital in early September and largely brings to an end the controversial reform agenda known as Transforming Health.
Health Minister Jack Snelling said the government's plan involved creating centres of excellence across the hospital network.
But he conceded the Transforming Health initiative had been refined as reforms were introduced, including the decision not to move cardiac services from the QEH.
"Obviously there has been a lot of feeling around that issue," he told reporters on Sunday.
Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis said there was nothing more important than investing in public health services and the spending commitment would come on the back of healthy budget surpluses.
He said further details of that investment would need to wait until Thursday, although the government on Saturday announced plans for a new $9 million extended care facility for emergency patients at Modbury Hospital.
The specialist eight-bed unit will be built next to the hospital's existing emergency department to allow clinicians to continue observing and evaluating emergency patients who require further care.
Mr Koutsantonis said both projects were great infrastructure developments that would not only deliver better health services but create jobs for local workers.
"This is one of the great investments of this budget," he said.
But Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said the government could not be trusted to deliver upgraded health services.
