Code White

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:20): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Did the government change any definition of Code White and, if so, why? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mrs HURN: The definition of a Code White Emergency Capacity Status on the SA Health Emergency Department Dashboard has seemingly been changed from 'all treatment rooms being used' to 'more than 125 per cent of ED capacity'. Despite this change, there was a system-wide Code White last night, meaning all metropolitan hospitals were operating above 125 per cent.

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I turn to the minister I observe that there is an element of argument in the last section of purported facts. I am going to give the member for Schubert the opportunity to recast the question. It may be that the question can be asked without the purported fact.

Mrs HURN: You took the words right out of my mouth, sir. My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Did the government change any definition of Code White and, if so, why?

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:21): There has been no change whatsoever from the government in the way that that dashboard works. For the full four years of the previous government under the member for Dunstan, the dashboard worked in that it would be Code White when it was 125 per cent capacity.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: As I understand it, there was an issue since that dashboard was put in place back in 2011, I believe, where the description didn't match what was actually happening on the dashboard.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: That's being corrected.

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Schubert!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: But there's no change in how the dashboard works. It has always worked on that basis and I am happy to show many, many screenshots of how it operated under the previous Liberal government that operated in exactly the same way.