Lyell McEwin Hospital

Mrs PEARCE (King) (14:54): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Can the minister provide an update on the Lyell McEwin Hospital?

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:55): I thank the member for King for her question. It was great to join her and other members from the northern suburbs at the Lyell McEwin Hospital on the weekend where we unveiled and opened the new 48-bed extension of the Lyell McEwin Hospital. This is an investment that the government has made of some $47 million into the hospital to expand the number of beds at the Lyell McEwin to meet the needs of the growing northern suburbs.

This has been built on level 3 of what was the clinical services building, which had two levels of beds but now we have added a third. This was originally set aside in the construction of the original building as a potential future expansion point, and we have now been able to utilise that and convert that area to additional beds. It has been done in a very fast way over the past two years. I want to commend all the workers who have worked on that and the builders, Built, who did an excellent job.

At the peak, there were some 166 staff who worked on that project. They created a new canopy over it to enable fast-tracking of those works so they weren't impacted by weather to get that project done as fast as possible. Then through the course of Monday we saw 100 patient movements happening to enable those beds to be filled and patients to get out of the emergency department, and also other moves between Modbury and Lyell McEwin Hospital. By the end of close of business Monday those beds were all full.

Of course, beds are not the only thing; we need staff as well, so we have recruited additional staff to work as part of those new beds. They will be staffed by more than 100 FTE, including 12 medical officers, 85 nurses and 12 allied health and pharmacy staff working across those sites to make sure that we can properly care for the patients in those additional beds.

That is not all. We've got more beds to come. We only promised 24 extra beds at the Lyell McEwin at the election. We have already doubled that number of what was delivered this week, and then next year there will be another 32 beds of internal expansion happening to enable additional beds to come online for what we know is a growing hospital with growing demand.

Clearly, it is the government's proposition and our plan to expand our hospitals and to expand our infrastructure to make sure patients can get the care that they need. I think by and large all the experts and all the advocates are saying that this is what needs to happen to make sure we can reduce pressure on our hospitals and reduce ramping across the system. I hadn't heard anyone putting an alternative view until today actually.

Earlier today we heard a proposition from the Liberal Party. We have been waiting to hear some health policies from the Liberal Party and finally we heard some. The newly appointed shadow assistant minister to the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Hammond, made a contribution in the chamber today saying, 'I think it could be fixed without spending a single dollar on any infrastructure.' That is music to the ears of the Treasurer, no doubt. What is this secret fix that you cannot spend any money on infrastructure? He said:

I do not think the public would stand it, mind you, but if there was a gap fee for people turning up to emergency who did not get admitted, I think you would see a drastic reduction in people attending emergency departments.

So Tales of Tarzia today, the new Tarzia gap fee—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —cancelling infrastructure, a new patient tax, putting it on patients across South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right!

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Leader of Government Business, you will come to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right!