Emergency Departments

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (15:45): My question is to the Premier. Premier, why, as of 2pm today, have there been 19 patients who have been stuck in emergency departments for over 24 hours waiting for a bed, and what is being done to help these people get the care they need right now?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (15:45): I thank the member for the question. Obviously, there is an extraordinary investment that has been going on in our health system since coming to government: a more than $2 billion investment in the health system over and above what was in the budget papers previously, and more than $1 billion in infrastructure. Imagine for a moment the circumstances we would face were the Labor Party still in power and the former Treasurer's (the member for West Torrens) budget settings allowed to continue.

In relation to the circumstances that are confronting the hospital system today, the Premier answered at great length in the first three answers in question time today the circumstances we are facing, not just as a state but as a country, in the wake of the extraordinary disruption to the health system through the COVID-19 pandemic, with the dramatic drop in people's engagement with primary health care last year and indeed the work that our GPs are doing as part of the vaccination program around Australia.

Whether or not there is also a contribution of the situation with people with chronic disease who did not necessarily take steps as they usually would to engage with our health system last year, that is now presenting extra challenges. The member identifies a particular time on a particular day—

Mr Picton: Right now. Now.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The member has identified a particular point in time on a particular day—yes, right now.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Usually, what happens in a chamber like this is that if somebody interested in a topic asks a question and somebody seeks to provide an answer—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call and will direct his response to the question.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —and if the person is genuinely interested, usually they allow the answer to complete rather than try to score political points by shouting across the chamber. That tends to only happen when somebody is only interested in politics and not actually interested in advancing the health care—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Interjection on my left will cease. The minister will not respond to interjections. The minister has the call.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Thank you, sir. I'm not upset; I'm just disappointed. The fact is that if there is further information that is necessary or relevant to the particular point in time which the member is asking about, then I will bring back further information to the house. Should there not be any further specific information relevant to that point in time, then I refer the member to the range of previous answers that have already been given, which clearly address this situation.