ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL GYNAECOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (16:37): My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister confirm that general gynaecology services at the Royal Adelaide Hospital will be closing shortly?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (16:37): No, I won't confirm that at all.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Yes, I'm sure the mayor of Glenelg has been talking to him. As part of the planning for the new Royal Adelaide Hospital we are determining what services will be provided in that hospital. All of the in-hospital services—the clinical services, the acute services that are required in our system—of course will continue to be there. We are looking at whether or not some outpatient services can be dealt with in other locations. All of these things are occurring. I have given the same answer to the house in the past.

There are obviously a number of specialists associated with the Royal Adelaide Hospital who do not like the plans to build a new hospital. They prefer to stay in a set of buildings which are way past their usefulness, and they have been stirring things up and making allegations that services will be taken away. It is not the case. In fact, we have invested more and more in-services, and we will do so at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. We obviously make changes from time to time, the best way of providing services to the community. Our overall theme is to get services close to where people live and sometimes that means moving services to other hospitals—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Bragg!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: —sometimes it means moving outpatient services into GP Plus centres and the like. We work that through in consultation with the clinicians, but the advice I have is that the more acute services associated with the services of the Royal Adelaide Hospital will continue. I am happy to get a further report for the member.