Emergency Departments

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): Supplementary to the Minister for Health: why then will the Minister for Health insist on the downgrade at the Modbury Hospital before improving the service provision at the Lyell McEwin Hospital?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:10): The Modbury Hospital is being upgraded: it is not being downgraded. There is a $32 million investment in new rehabilitation facilities. The opposition might not consider that sexy, but if you have had a stroke or you have had an amputation and you need rehabilitation, I'll tell you now that it is very, very important.

On Saturday, I took great pleasure in visiting the open day we had at the Modbury Hospital, the new rehabilitation facility, and meeting people, meeting patients who are benefiting from those services and will continue to benefit from those services we are now able to offer at the Modbury Hospital. All at the same time, the Modbury Hospital continues to have a 24-hour, seven days a week specialist-led emergency department. It is absolutely wrong to suggest that Modbury Hospital in any way has been downgraded. It retains and, in fact if anything, improves the incredible and important services that it provides to the people of the northern and north-eastern suburbs.