Lyell McEwin Hospital Emergency Department

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. How does the minister respond to the experience of Mr Allan Haigh at the Lyell McEwin Hospital last week? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mrs HURN: Seventy-eight year old Allan Haigh reportedly waited 15 hours in the emergency department at the Lyell McEwin Hospital last week, suffering blurred vision, he was unable to walk, with doctors suspecting that he had suffered a stroke. A week later, Mr Haigh remains in the hospital undergoing further tests.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:42): I am obviously concerned about anybody who has to wait in our emergency departments, and that's why the government is so committed to investing further in our healthcare system to make sure that people can get the care that they need.

That's why at Lyell McEwin Hospital, we have already opened 48 additional beds just in the past few months, and we've got additional beds forthcoming this year as well. Similarly to what we were talking about at The QEH, we are converting other areas of the hospital to new additional bed capacity at the Lyell McEwin Hospital to make sure that people who are stuck in the emergency department, who no longer need to be in the emergency department, can get the care that they need in inpatient beds and people can get treated faster through the emergency department.

In relation to the Haigh family, my office spoke to them on Friday and we committed to making sure that we can have a proper investigation with the clinicians, as we would do if there were appropriate complaints that have been made. They wanted to have a meeting with the clinicians, which we will organise when Mr Haigh is out of hospital. I understand the family have been very supportive and thankful for the care that he has received from the Royal Adelaide Hospital and I understand that the Lyell McEwin will be looking at what happened in this case and will be meeting with the family, and treating it very seriously.

But there's no doubt that we need that additional capacity. That's why we have opened additional beds and hired more doctors and nurses. We know that there's more to do, but I think it is always disappointing when we hear comments from the shadow minister attacking the treatment of our doctors and nurses who work so hard in our hospital system day in, day out.