MODBURY HOSPITAL

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (14:34): Again my question is to the Minister for Health. Has the minister been advised what annual cost savings will be achieved by the proposed closure of the paediatric ward at Modbury Hospital and, if so, what are the annual cost savings?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:34): I haven't been advised about that, and I am not sure there will necessarily be any savings. It's about better utilisation of the beds that we have in our system. The first thing to say is that we are going through a consultation period. A decision has not been made about relocating the paediatric ward. I can just emphasise for the house's benefit that no decision has been made about the paediatric ward at the Modbury Hospital.

However, it is quite clear that the paediatric ward at the Modbury Hospital is underutilised. Generally, it is only about half full, and those beds in that ward cannot, obviously, be used for adults. You cannot mix adults and children together, so generally half of that ward remains empty. I cannot just stand by and allow four beds in the paediatric ward at a hospital, in a system for which there is huge demand, and growing demand for hospital beds, to continue to remain unused or underused.

This is a proposal that has been put to me by the department. They are in a process of engagement, obviously, with the community who live around the Modbury Hospital. I am one of those people. I am a frequent user of the Modbury Hospital emergency department. With six children you do tend to spend a fair bit of time taking them to hospital.

Can I reassure families like mine, who live within the catchment area of Modbury Hospital—and I know the member for Ramsay was there the other day—that, regardless of what happens with the paediatric ward, they will be able to continue to take their children into the emergency department when they need emergency care. There will be absolutely no change whatsoever to the availability for families in the north-eastern suburbs to access emergency care for their children.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: There will also be dedicated beds there, short-term beds there, for children who need to stay overnight. If the change is made, it will affect people with children who are in need of longer term stays in hospital. If the change does happen, they will either have to be transferred to the Lyell McEwin or the Children's Hospital, but this is about proper and good utilisation of the beds we have in our hospital system.

The SPEAKER: I call the members for Heysen and Florey to order. The member for Morphett.