Cardiology Services

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Health. Given that around four full-time equivalent Queen Elizabeth Hospital cardiac staff were transferred to the Lyell McEwin Hospital to support cardiac services there, when will The Queen Elizabeth Hospital staff be backfilled to allow the restoration of cardiac services at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:59): We will work through all these issues with our clinicians. Obviously, having that second cath lab, and those additional cardiac services at the Lyell McEwin Hospital, is incredibly important. It has been incredibly successful in preventing patients from our northern suburbs, suffering acute heart attacks, having to be moved into the city. It means that they have been able to be treated quickly and safely, and I make no apologies for having additional cardiac staff and a second cath lab at the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

Obviously, we will sit down with our clinicians at The QEH to work through these issues in the cardiac service. The government have made a policy decision that cardiac services and, in particular, the cath lab, will stay at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and our clinicians will work through how that happens and how that happens in a way that's safe.