Flinders Medical Centre

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): I welcome the Premier's commitment to answer questions pointedly. My question is to the Premier. What is the net increase in the total number of beds at the Flinders Medical Centre as a result of the $8 million announcement announced today at the press conference—the net increase in the total number of beds at FMC?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:10): I don't know whether the Leader of the Opposition was paying any attention to the press conference at all. The press conference today was about the emergency department. We all know about the original design of the emergency department because we have read about it in technicolour, published for us by the former health minister, the person who was leading much of the design of the revamped Flinders Medical Centre emergency department, and the problems with the original design. That's what we were addressing in our press conference today.

As I said, when we came to government there were 56 treatment areas within that emergency department. We have gone up to 86 treatment areas. I have to say, I am very, very grateful to the clinicians who are working down at the Flinders Medical Centre. They put a huge amount of effort into the redesign of the busiest emergency department in South Australia because they know if we get the Flinders Medical Centre right and fix the problems that we inherited from those opposite it has a flow-on effect right across all metropolitan systems.

Because the previous government took away capacity from the southern system, they closed the Repat hospital and they drove more people to the emergency department at the Flinders Medical Centre, which was designed too small, with a very poor flow, that had a consequential effect of increasing the number of presentations in the Central Adelaide Local Health Network and the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network. These consequential problems were caused by the situation that was presided over by those opposite, and that's what today's press conference was about.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Point of order.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: There's a point of order. Member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Debate, sir: we asked the Premier how many extra beds were at the Flinders Medical Centre as a result of this $8 million redevelopment, and the Premier still hasn't answered the question.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are quite right: he hasn't. He hasn't answered the direct question, but he's answering the question in the way he sees fit.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I think the Labor opposition are getting a little bit confused and, well, it wouldn't be the first time. Today's press conference was about the upgrade to the emergency department. I provided plenty of information regarding the very significant increase in the number of treatment areas within that emergency department. That was the money that was talked about today. For some reason, they seem very interested in narrowing down the discussion to the topic which wasn't the subject of the press conference today.

Maybe I will do a press conference tomorrow on the total Flinders Medical Centre, or maybe we will do it on the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network or the Central Adelaide Local Health Network or the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network. It doesn't matter where you look at the moment, it is this government which is massively investing in the number of beds right across South Australia. There are nine emergency departments across South Australia.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: this is clearly debate. It was a specific question about a specific number at the Flinders Medical Centre. The Premier might be choosing to answer it how he sees fit, but it's not in accordance with standing orders.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, I don't uphold that. The Premier is entitled to some latitude in his answers in the same way that we give the Leader of the Opposition some latitude.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The question specifically referenced the sum of money which is being spent on the upgrade to the emergency department. It wasn't a question which canvassed the entire Flinders Medical Centre. It was talking about the upgrade, which was the subject of the press conference today. As I said, there are so many press conferences that we could call at the moment because we are upgrading emergency departments right across metropolitan Adelaide and the peri-urban areas. In fact, there are nine emergency department capacity increases that we are presiding over at the moment.

We are spending more than $1 billion on our hospitals at the moment, fixing the mess that we inherited from those opposite. There's a huge amount of work to do, and I want to thank all the clinicians for the work that they have put into making sure that we can have the right design, especially responding to the new situation that we have with regard to the coronavirus. Ventilation is crucial, the clinicians are being consulted, the facilities are being upgraded.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Time has expired. Before I call the leader, the following members are called to order: the members for Playford, Kaurna and West Torrens and the deputy leader.