House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Emergency Departments Emergency Departments Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Dunstan Leader of the Opposition Emergency Departments Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:29): My question is to the Minister for Health. Does the minister consider that medical officers can meet their ethical obligations to mental health patients within the Royal Adelaide Hospital emergency department, given that one medical officer is reported as stating, 'There is no dignity, this is institutionalised discrimination and torture and we are being asked to do this by management. I did not sign up for this'? The Hon. J.J. SNELLING House of Assembly Playford Minister for Health Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister for the Arts Minister for Health Industries Emergency Departments The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:29): I cannot add anything to what I previously said, that is, it is unacceptable for mental health patients to have to wait significantly longer than other patients for admission into an acute bed. I will do everything in my power to close that gap to make sure that doesn't happen. I do believe that the creation of a direct entry facility for mental health patients at the Royal Adelaide will significantly alleviate this; in fact, it will eliminate the problem because there simply won't be mental health patients in the ED at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.