KordaMentha Report

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:50): Supplementary: the fact of the matter is that hospitals are there to serve patients.

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, we don't need a statement. Just ask the question.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Can the minister rule out the closure of any wards at the Royal Adelaide Hospital or The Queen Elizabeth Hospital as a result of the cutting of about 180 beds to make these savings? If he is contemplating cuts of wards, which ones are they?

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, that's the first supplementary, I assume. You can ask the second one in a minute.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:51): As I have already stated, the government has committed that we will not close any bed that is needed. It is very important to get these hospitals operating effectively. Key stakeholders have repeatedly said to us that it is important to have patient flow, to make sure that there is capacity in the hospital to receive incoming patients. The problem with the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, passed on to us from the former Labor government, is that it doesn't flow effectively and we therefore have backing up in the emergency department and backing up on the ambulance ramp.