Question Time

Ambulance Ramping

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): My question is to the Premier. Did the Premier promise to fix ramping?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:23): I think it's well known that at the last state election my party took to the people of the state a comprehensive plan to deliver a record investment in the number of beds, the number of nurses, the number of ambulance officers, the number of doctors working—

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni: That's too much to put on a single poster. You actually said you would fix the ramping crisis—that's what the poster said.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley! We are 30 seconds into question time. You will be quiet.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: It was a comprehensive plan, and at the heart of that plan was the objective to address the ramping crisis, to fix the ramping crisis, and we remain utterly committed to that. I have been very grateful in recent weeks to be with the Minister for Health to open up all of those beds that we have been able to deliver. Just yesterday, I enjoyed the opportunity to speak to the CEO of NALHN (Northern Adelaide Local Health Network) and asked her for feedback around what difference it had made in the Lyell McEwin Hospital in terms of patient flow that those beds have made. I was very grateful to hear from her directly about the added advantage of now having general medicine beds adding to the capacity of the Lyell McEwin Hospital and about what that has been able to deliver over the last couple of weeks at the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

We will continue to roll out that plan and that investment, and what I can say is that every single person in the health system is well aware of the activities the state government is engaged in. Every single person in the hospital system understands the distinguishing factors between this government and the opposition. On this side of the house, we have a comprehensive plan to increase the capacity of the health system, and on the other side of the house we have a consistency of tactics and questions that have continued from one Leader of the Opposition to the next.