Hospital Beds

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:40): My next question is for the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Given that under the minister's watch paramedics are saying that ambulance ramping is worse than it has ever been, will the minister reopen the two wards: 25 beds at the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre and 16 beds at the Flinders Medical Centre, which he closed late last year?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:41): Let's be clear, the health system is run by a range of chief executives across the network. They make decisions on how best to manage their beds. In relation to information I can provide the council, I can advise the council that the relevant chief executive in relation to the Hampstead facility actually addressed this matter in the last day or two. The point she made—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I am having trouble hearing the minister.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —was that the beds at Hampstead are available to be opened if needed, but it's important to make sure that the bed capacity actually would address the demand in the ED. Over January and in the RAH ED this morning, we have a high number of general medicine and mental health patients. That's the patient cohort that we are currently seeing having trouble getting appropriate beds. They are not the subacute patients that could benefit from Hampstead.

The problems that we have had in finding accommodation, particularly for forensic mental health patients, is exactly the reason why this government is committing to opening 10 new forensic mental health beds at the Glenside site. There are approximately nine forensic mental health patients a day who are waiting for a bed in emergency departments. Our initiative in that regard will help better flow through our hospitals, less overcrowding in EDs and reduce ambulance ramping.