Women's and Children's Hospital

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:38): My question is to the Premier. Why is the 20-bed modern Cassia Ward still closed at the Women's and Children's Hospital, despite the emergency department reaching 165 per cent capacity this week?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:38): I am not going to accept the question as a matter of fact. The reality is that Cassia Ward and the medical short stay ward at the Women's and Children's Hospital have been temporarily amalgamated, as they are very often at this time of the year, during the summer period, when there is a lower level of occupancy. This is a matter for the leadership of the women's and children's local health network. The capacity is available to be activated as soon as it is actually needed, but I am advised that it's not needed at the moment.

I know those opposite think that they could run the health system better than the current people who are leaders within our hospitals. They did actually have their chance. That experiment didn't go particularly well, so the reality is I think what we will do in government is just to continue to back the leadership within our hospitals.

I must say that we have a new chief executive at the Women's and Children's Hospital in that local health network. We are very satisfied with the performance of the chief executive, and they make decisions regarding capacity on an ongoing basis. As I said, the Cassia Ward and the medical short stay ward are temporarily amalgamated, as they are pretty much every year at this time of the year.