Flinders Medical Centre

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:50): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Will the minister clarify whether a toilet, a corridor or a stairwell are considered unconventional spaces? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mrs HURN: In a parliamentary committee last week, the Chief Executive of the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network commented that 'when a surge is on they will continue to push into any space they can'.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:50): I think the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network also made very clear that we are delivering 136 extra beds at Flinders Medical Centre. We believe that we need to build additional beds at that hospital to make sure that people are cared for. Where are the promises or policies from the opposition to do so? Absolutely none. What did they do—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —when they had the opportunity when they were in government?

The SPEAKER: Minister, please be seated. Member for Schubert, you must be on six warnings now. You will depart under 137A for the remainder of question time. Minister.

The honourable member for Schubert having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: What did they have the opportunity to do when they were in government? Well, they had, supposedly, they said, a southern health expansion plan, but when you looked at what was the expansion that was happening—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond is warned.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —at Flinders Medical Centre that supposedly, according to the member for Dunstan, was going to fix ramping almost immediately, well, it was rebadging some beds—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —from inpatient beds—change the sign over the top so these are now emergency department beds. There was no increase in beds at that hospital whatsoever. There was an independent report that was commissioned by the previous government that said that that action actually made the situation worse in the hospital.

We have a different view: rather than just shuffling the decks, like the previous government did, we actually believe we need more beds in the system, more capacity in the system—and that's exactly what we are delivering.