Health Review

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (16:46): My question is to the Minister for Health. Given that the government is proposing to downgrade the emergency department of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital without increasing the capacity of the emergency department of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, can the minister explain how ramping will be avoided?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (16:46): Firstly, I reject any suggestion that any part of our health system is being downgraded. The simple fact is that—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned for the second and final time. He has asked his question, and he will be entitled to ask a series of questions, but he must not shout at the minister while the minister is attempting to answer.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The simple fact is there is no part of our health system which is more important than any other part. Every part of our health system is important. There is no such thing as a downgrade in health. Our subacute facilities enable our acute facilities to do their job, an enrolled nurse enables a registered nurse and the highest qualified specialist in a subspecialty area of medicine. Every part works together, and the opposition, trapped in their view of health care that belongs to the last century or the century before, have got it completely muddleheaded.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, sir: this series of insults is contrary to 98.

The SPEAKER: What was the insulting word?

Mr GARDNER: It was a series of insults but, regardless of which words in particular, the minister is debating by characterising the opposition's point of view on something as in any way relevant to the answer.

The SPEAKER: I don't think there's anything in standing orders or in Erskine May which would prevent someone saying that someone else or one other group of members has a mindset in another century but, if it is unparliamentary or it is debate, that's another matter.

Mr GARDNER: Sir, I drew your attention to debate and I used the example of the series of insults as why he was debating. I wasn't claiming that it was unparliamentary.

The SPEAKER: I see. I will listen carefully. Minister.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Sir, I was responding to the suggestion that the Leader of the Opposition made in the course of asking his question that certain parts of the health system are being downgraded. That is what I was responding to and I am surprised the Leader of the Opposition, or any member of the opposition, would find offence in my responding to that. The important point is that there is no such thing as one part of our hospital system or health system being more important than the other. There is no such thing as downgrading, as the opposition would put it.

The second point I would make is this. With regard to additional patients having to go to some of our key emergency departments, firstly, one thing that we are going to do is up the resources at those key emergency departments, in particular to make sure they have the 24/7 cover that they need, so that people can get looked after effectively, regardless of what hour of the day or night that they present to the hospital. That is going to assist in those emergency departments where life-threatening presentations are going to go.

The next point I would make is we are talking about a relatively very small number of presentations across our health system. As I said, at the Modbury Hospital, half of 1 per cent of the presentations would fit into this category—half of 1 per cent; a tiny, tiny number. Now, the opposition can run around and say—

Mr Griffiths: They are real people.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: They are real people, and that's why they deserve the best possible care. The member for Goyder is exactly right. These are real people, and that's why they deserve the best possible care, not being used as political fodder by the opposition running around trying to mislead people.