Legislative Council Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Question Time Modbury Hospital Modbury Hospital The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition Modbury Hospital The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:29):My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. What was the nature of the advice from your department indicating that, in the absence of a new intensive care unit at Modbury Hospital, appropriate levels of clinical safety may not be achieved with the establishment of a stand-alone high dependency unit? The Hon. S.G. WADE Legislative Council Minister for Health and Wellbeing Modbury Hospital The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:30): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I feel as though I must have been dreaming when I answered this question a number of times because it still keeps coming. I think it's very important that the parliament appreciates the context of the advice that I received coming into government and, for that matter, the context of the advice which the former government received in relation to Modbury Hospital and the context of the Liberal Party's commitment. The context of the Liberal Party's commitment in relation to Modbury Hospital is that we committed that there would be the institution of a board. That board would review services across the northern region, both at Lyell McEwin and at Modbury Hospital. In that context, we would be looking to lift the complexity of surgery and the length of stay of patients at Modbury Hospital and, in that context, we would be establishing a high dependency unit. The previous government's consideration of a high dependency unit was in relation to a completely different service mix than what the Liberal government is planning. The high dependency unit will be established in due course and with all due regard to patient safety.