Flinders Medical Centre

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:29): My question is to the Premier. When the Premier was touring the Flinders Medical Centre upgrade with television cameras this morning, did he ask any of the staff there what used to be in that space and whether there used to be an acute medical ward with 30 beds that is now closed?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:29): I didn't ask that question. It's a very odd question for somebody to be asking that level of detail.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I do not think we should be sitting until midnight ever again in this place because the behaviour today in question time is absolutely extraordinary. They have to get more sleep. They got up on the wrong side of the bed today—not the wrong side of the hospital bed, just the wrong side of the bed.

I was very pleased to go down and take a look through the paediatric emergency department today. It is an outstanding facility. One of the things I did ask about was the facilities for those people who might be coming in with suspected coronavirus infection because we know that this was absolutely important out at Modbury Hospital recently, when we had somebody come in with a suspected coronavirus infection and the entire emergency department oriented around making sure that person was put into a safe environment, in a negative pressure room, so that the infection couldn't spread right throughout the hospital.

I want to say congratulations to every one of the clinicians and all the other staff working at Modbury Hospital. I did ask questions as I was walking around this morning, and that was the response that I got: yes, there are negative pressure treatment facilities within the new paediatric emergency department at the Flinders Medical Centre revamp. It is also a very attractive environment for young patients who come in because, of course, they would be very anxious when coming into an emergency department.

The clinicians worked with the senior staff at the hospital to design something that not only was a capacity increase over what was there before but also responded to best practice models of care in emergency departments. I was very pleased with that. In addition to being told about the work that has happened at the Flinders Medical Centre, of course I asked the question about the overall Southern Adelaide Local Health Network.

I was there with the chair of the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Mr Mark Butcher, and also the interim chief executive, Mr David Morris. They were telling me about the great work that is being done right across that system. I think there is in excess of $85 million in funding at the moment across that system, increasing the capacity, increasing the amenity, focusing on that new model of care and focusing on having services as close as possible to people living in the southern suburbs.

As I said, this will be a big benefit to the people in the southern suburbs. I know that we have many members on this side of the house—the member for Davenport and the member for Elder—who have been very pleased to get feedback from their constituents about the upgrades there. I expect also that would be the same on the other side of the house.

It is not just a benefit to those members who have electorates adjacent to the Flinders Medical Centre or in the southern area; it is also important for the entire metropolitan area because it takes pressure off Royal Adelaide Hospital in the Central Adelaide Local Health Network and that in turn takes pressure off Lyell McEwin Hospital, the other of the three spine hospitals in South Australia, and takes pressure off their emergency departments.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Before I go to the member for King, I warn for the first time the members for Playford and Kaurna. I know, member for Kaurna, you have a number of questions you would like to ask, yet you are warned for the first time