Hospital Beds

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:42): Can the minister perhaps explain to the house how many general medical beds there are across the two northern hospitals at the moment?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:42): I haven't got those exact numbers on me, of course, but, as I said, there will be more beds across those two hospitals as a result of these changes, as we move activity from central Adelaide to northern Adelaide, which is the next suite of reforms that have to happen. We have to move activity away from central to northern because there are many patients who live in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, like me, like the member for Florey, like the member for Ramsay, who have to travel into another part of metropolitan Adelaide to have their procedure or to be seen by a doctor or to stay in hospital. It is an inequity that there is such a significant disparity for patients who live in the northern suburbs as opposed to patients who live in other parts of Adelaide. These changes will address that inequity, and instead of almost—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for MacKillop is warned.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —half of patients having to travel, we hope that with these changes in the northern suburbs it will be more like 80 per cent of patients who need treatment who live in northern Adelaide will be seen and looked after in northern Adelaide. I think that has to be a good thing for residents in the northern suburbs.