Emergency Departments

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): I have a further question to the Minister for Health. How does the minister explain the chronic overcrowding that occurred in the Lyell McEwin emergency department last month, which saw it as a Code White for, on average, more than eight hours each day?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:08): The Lyell McEwin emergency department is seeing, on occasions, as many presentations to the emergency department as the Royal Adelaide Hospital emergency department. We are seeing a significant number and growth in presentations to the Lyell McEwin ED. I know the opposition is going to jump on that and say they are all coming from Modbury. That's not the case because we are also seeing Modbury Hospital being very busy.

Without doubt, the growth in the population in our northern suburbs is causing significant demand for services for the Lyell McEwin Hospital. That is why the reforms we have made, which at every stage the Liberal Party has opposed—the $300 million we have invested in the Lyell McEwin Hospital, the extra services we have put into the Lyell McEwin Hospital, the fact that the Lyell McEwin Hospital now has 24-hour, seven day a week orthopaedic cover—are absolutely critical to making sure that patients move through the emergency department as quickly as possible.

Of course, there's more to be done. We are not sitting on our hands. There's a lot more that needs to be done. I think in time that we will need to consider a significant expansion of the Lyell McEwin emergency department in terms of its space. As I say, in the last few weeks we have seen occasions when the Lyell McEwin emergency department has seen as many presentations as the Royal Adelaide Hospital emergency department. That is how busy it is. You can imagine what would have happened if we had not put the investment this government has proudly put into the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

Mr Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is called to order.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: We recognised, from the very beginning when we came into office, that the Lyell McEwin Hospital was in need of significant investment. To the credit of previous health ministers, they recognised the need for that investment and they made that investment. That's why roughly $300 million has been invested in the Lyell McEwin Hospital. That's why we have put in a significant increase in services to the Lyell McEwin Hospital so that it can deal with that increased demand. Having said that, there is still more to be done. There are still more services that need to be moved in there, and I think that in time we will need to look at a significant expansion of that ED.