Lyell McEwin Hospital

In reply to Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (8 March 2016).

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries): Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) operates as one health service providing a full range of public hospital services to residents of the north and north-east suburbs across the Lyell McEwin and Modbury Hospitals. Both hospitals have emergency departments (EDs) which are managed by emergency medicine specialists capable of providing emergency assessment and management of all patients presenting to them.

There are various reasons why an ambulance may be redirected to another hospital. For example, ED presentations across the system and consequently, ED capacity, fluctuates from time to time and is not always predictable.

Where presentations are high at one hospital, and where clinically appropriate, ambulances may take a patient direct to an ED in which an emergency assessment can occur as soon as possible. Any decision to direct ambulances from one site to the other is based on clinical need and ensuring that patients receive the best care and the care that they need in a timely manner.

The dedicated ambulance located at Modbury Hospital continues to transport patients to Lyell McEwin Hospital, well within the predicted volume ranges and the majority of patients are being transferred from Modbury directly to an inpatient bed at Lyell McEwin Hospital, therefore not impacting ED presentations.