Emergency Departments

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): A supplementary, sir: given the minister's indication of the report not including the winter period and the advent of flu, has the minister launched an investigation as to why South Australia is the only state whose waiting times seem to have been affected by the flu?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:07): What we had in the 2014 flu season was a flu season that was particularly bad in South Australia compared to interstate. We actually had a very, very bad flu season which was not reflected nationally. In 2015, we had an equally bad flu season, but those flu numbers we saw across the board, we saw interstate as well. But 2014, contrary to what the deputy leader at least implied, was actually a particularly bad year in South Australia compared to other states.

I should also say, in other states, some of the reforms which we are doing they have actually started on. In particularly New South Wales, the reform program which the opposition is so critical of has actually seen significant improvements in emergency departments. In states like New South Wales, the Liberal government there have actually started a similar reform process—and they are a couple of years ahead of us in New South Wales—which has actually seen an improvement in their emergency department figures. By starting this reform program here in South Australia, I am confident, over years to come, that we will see similar improvements.