Royal Adelaide Hospital

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:42): My question is to the Premier. Premier, why did a woman with a blood clot have to wait eight hours to be moved to a room at the Royal Adelaide Hospital last week and three hours before notes from her GP were looked at by a doctor? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PICTON:The Advertiser today reported about a woman, Robyn Adams, and her husband, who have written to the minister about Robyn's treatment at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on 5 May. After receiving a vaccine, her GP identified blood clots that were confirmed by a scan, and the GP recommended urgent treatment at the Royal Adelaide Hospital emergency department. It took five hours for a doctor to take notes, two more hours before they were able to be told she would stay overnight, and it took eight hours, full stop, to move to a room. Before that, Robyn had to use her coat wrapped in a towel as a pillow. The letter to the minister today said, and I quote:

… I assumed this was a case of media exaggeration…Now it is clear that the situation is quite possibly worse than reported.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:43): I have just received a briefing on this case and I, too, would like to apologise to this patient and her family for this very significant delay. I am sure it would have been extraordinarily distressing for her. I note that the CEO of CALHN, Lesley Dwyer, has issued an apology. My understanding is that the patient has now met with clinicians within the specialist vaccination clinic. My understanding is that the situation is that there have been no adverse reactions to the AstraZeneca vaccination here in South Australia. This patient will continue to receive support from that vaccination specialist clinic which is there.

At the moment, as I was saying, we have seen reports around the world with regard to the AstraZeneca vaccine that there have been some adverse effects causing what is referred to as thrombosis or TTS. We haven't had any of those. Of course, if we did, we would immediately report them to the TGA, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, in South Australia. That hasn't been the case in South Australia to date. But, as I said, I have only just received a very short briefing before coming in to question time. We regret this unacceptable delay. The hospital has issued an apology. I am sure it would have been very distressing for the family.