Brain Injury and Spinal Injury Units

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:50): I will move on to my next question, in that case, also to the Minister for Health. Given that physical exercise is a key component of rehabilitation for people who have sustained a spinal cord injury, why has a physical education department been left out of the rehabilitation facilities at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:50): We're working with consumers about what the needs for spinal patients will be at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital when it is relocated to The QEH. I find it quite understandable that there may be some concerns, but I'm confident we can work through these. One of the important components of the changes that we're making for patients with spinal injury is to actually start their rehabilitation far earlier.

In fact, the new Royal Adelaide Hospital will have rehabilitation beefed up substantially, and patients with severe spinal injury will be able to begin their rehabilitation at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital far sooner than currently happens when, essentially, they have to wait until they are transferred to Hampstead for their rehabilitation to begin in any substantive way. We are very confident that this new service will be to the benefit of patients with spinal injuries, but my department is working through any concerns consumers have about what facilities will be available to them.