Queen Elizabeth Hospital

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:35): My question is to the Minister for Health. Can the minister confirm that the 20-bed cancer ward at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital will begin closing this week and, if so, how many specialist cancer beds will operate at The QEH once that ward has closed and how many specialist cancer nurses will be based at The QEH after the closure?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (14:35): I thank the honourable member for his question. This state government takes very seriously The QEH as a fine institution that services public health patients throughout metropolitan Adelaide, but particularly those patients from the western suburbs. I think the government's stated commitment in respect of The QEH, of course, is best represented by us putting our money where our mouth is, or putting taxpayers' money in terms of investment in the order of $250 million at The QEH to ensure that it continues to be an outstanding institution for many, many years to come. As part of that commitment, at the same time, the government announced its intention to retain cancer services at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

That is important for the local community and I think we should put at rest concerns that there was some suggestion that all cancer services would be transferred off the site. That is not occurring. What is occurring is the retention of both inpatient and outpatient cancer services at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital. That is a great result for people in the western suburbs who will be needing treatment in a range of different areas. It is true that treatment of the most complex cancer services will be moving to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, but only in the most complex of instances, and that has always been the intention, which might be the context of the Hon. Mr Wade's question. But bed numbers within the Central Adelaide Local Health Network will not change, and cancer services and beds will of course remain available at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Patients will continue to undergo cancer surgery and receive chemotherapy and access to outpatient services and day treatment services at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The government, of course, again, has committed in this year's state budget an additional $250 million into The QEH. That will dramatically improve the service delivery that The QEH is capable of delivering to the western suburbs, not for years to come but for decades to come. We will see a brand-new car park being built on site, we will see a brand-new operating theatre built on site, we will see a brand-new, and I am advised, larger emergency department at The QEH as well. This is a very substantial investment on behalf of this government and speaks volumes about how important this institution is in our view in terms of providing an important service regarding public health to the western suburbs.