Brain Injury and Spinal Injury Units

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:57): Will the minister come back to the house tomorrow and confirm the reduction in beds for both the brain injury and the spinal injury units in South Australia going forward?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:57): I am more than happy to come back to the Leader of the Opposition with advice about bed numbers, but as—

Mr MARSHALL: We're still getting answers to questions asked years ago.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Because you ask such inane questions. As I constantly state—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Inane questions, yes. Inane questions, that is what I said. Inane questions.

The SPEAKER: The member for Kavel.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The simple issue is—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Poor old Warren, yes. With regard to bed numbers, not only in brain and spinal injury but right across our health system, our bed numbers depend upon activity. If we have a greater number of presentations then we flex up the number of beds. Bed numbers is not a static thing that is set in stone. We always increase the number of beds if we have a greater number of presentations and so, likewise in these clinical areas that the Leader of the Opposition is referring to, if ever we needed additional capacity for patients recovering from brain or spinal injury, then we would simply flex up the number of beds to make sure we could accommodate those patients.