PUBLIC HOSPITALS

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Health. How is the state government preparing the state's public hospitals to meet the current and future health needs of South Australians?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts) (14:42): I thank the member for Taylor for her question and I do acknowledge her very strong interest in health issues. When we were elected to government in 2002, we were faced with ageing and rundown hospitals in desperate need of upgrade in South Australia. In fact, we had the oldest hospital stock in mainland Australia. With an ageing population and a consequent rise in chronic diseases looming, serious action was needed to bring our hospital stock up to standard. Our goal has been to—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Thank you, Madam Speaker—bring our hospitals up to standard, to make them 21^st century institutions to look after 21^st century populations. The government has embarked on a major capital works program that has been designed around a healthcare plan which is about creating extra capacity and also making better use of the available assets that we put into health.

This year, nearly $0.5 billion is being invested to support these works, which are now well advanced. Earlier this month, for example, I was delighted to open new treatment areas and the first new operating theatres at the Flinders Medical Centre. This is part of a $163-million redevelopment that is currently taking place there, and we anticipate the works will be completed before the busy winter period next year.

Work has also started on the new 96-bed inpatient building at the Lyell McEwin Hospital, and that will be completed by around May 2013. The works at this hospital will virtually double its size and make it one of our state's three major acute trauma hospitals in the metropolitan area, alongside the Flinders Medical Centre and the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

At The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, a new allied health and rehabilitation building is now being constructed. Work will soon start on a new 20-bed older person's mental health unit. The total project is due for completion by the end of next year. Master planning for a $46-million redevelopment of Modbury Hospital has been completed and detailed planning is now underway for a redeveloped emergency department and a new rehabilitation facility. The GP Plus Super Clinic will be in full operation, we expect, early next year as well.

The tender for preliminary works has been awarded at the Repatriation General Hospital ahead of the new 120-bed teaching, aged care and rehabilitation facility that is being built in partnership with the private sector. Levels 7 and 8 of the new extended Gilbert building at the Women's and Children's are on schedule to be completed later this year. In addition, the new Noarlunga GP Plus Super Clinic will open in early 2012, and new mental healthcare facilities are opening in areas right across the state.

Site preparation works are underway in readiness for construction of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital in our city's West End, and every time I drive along there I get very excited by what is happening on that site. In regional South Australia, construction works are well advanced at the Berri Hospital. I was up there last week for the concrete pour with the local member. We expect to start soon on the new regional cancer centre at Whyalla. So, massive capital works to make sure that our infrastructure in health is of a standard that we need in this century.