WOMEN'S AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

115 Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (17 July 2012). With respect to 2012-13 Budget Paper 4, vol. 3, p. 53—

1. What is the total cost to the Health Budget in 2012-13 for the maintenance and operation of current Women's and Children's Hospital, including staffing, administrative and maintenance costs?

2. How many beds are in operation at the hospital and across what functions?

3. What is the total number of employees at the hospital, including FTEs and actual persons?

4. What is the total number of Emergency Department presentations at the hospital at present and what is the forecast?

5. Has there been any consideration given to substantially rebuild the hospital in situ or to relocate and if so, what are the details and has an area of land down near the railyards been identified as a relocation site?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts): I am advised:

1. The total cost to the Health Budget in 2012-13 for the Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH) is:

Administrative costs are held in various budget lines and are included in total WCH employee costs above.

2. The number of beds in operation at the WCH and associated functions are:

3. The total number of employees at the Women's and Children's Health Network as at June 2012, including staff at the WCH, is:

4. The total number of Emergency Department presentations at the WCH at present, and the forecast, is:

5. The State Government made a significant commitment in the 2010-11 Capital Investment Statement to redevelop and upgrade the WCH. This was the largest capital investment commitment to the hospital since the Queen Victoria Hospital services were moved from the Rose Park site in 1995.

An expenditure of $64.44 million was announced in the 2010-11 State Budget to provide additional ward space and redevelop the 'hot floor' and Level 4 medical wards. The 'hot floor' is a dedicated floor space to support the co-location of critical and intensive care services, including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the Special Care Baby Unit. In March 2012, the 20-bed long stay 'Cassia Medical Ward' was completed as the first stage of this project.

This was in addition to the $24.066 million investment in constructing three new floors on the Gilbert Building. This was officially opened on 12 April 2012 and was completed with funding from the Commonwealth and State Governments, the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation and the Little Heroes Foundation. It provides for a Children's Cancer Centre, the redevelopment of the Michael Rice Centre for Haematology and Oncology, The Breathing Space, and Allan Scott Laboratory.

With this level of investment currently occurring at the WCH there is no intent to relocate the hospital to a new site in the foreseeable future.