Hospital Beds

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): Can the minister confirm that these beds that he announces are all a net increase and that there are no corresponding decreases in either general beds or mental health beds?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:24): Certainly the Lyell McEwin Hospital was four additional beds. The country health mental health beds are all additional beds. The short-stay unit at the Flinders Medical Centre is the changing of an acute medical unit into a short-stay ward, but they are six new mental health beds; they were not previously mental health beds.