Hospital Transfers

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:33): Thank you very much. I thought you had a stutter there, sir, but alas not today. My question is to the Minister for Health. Can the minister confirm that, contrary to the Repatriation General Hospital's normal practice of not accepting transfers after 7pm, last night two patients were transferred from the Flinders Medical Centre to the Repatriation General Hospital after 10pm.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:34): I need to find out. I don't normally get a brief every time a patient is transferred in our health system. I have to say that I am more than happy to have a look. There's no doubt our hospitals have been incredibly busy in the last couple of months. I have to say that our doctors and nurses have been working exceptionally hard to make our hospital system work as well as it possibly can. I would like to place on the record my thanks for the enormous amount of work they have done.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: If a couple of patients have been transferred from the Flinders Medical Centre to the Repat at a particular time of day, I have no problem with that if the doctors and nurses think that that's the appropriate thing to do.

The SPEAKER: I call to order the members for Taylor and Schubert. Leader.