Flinders Medical Centre

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:50): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing about food at the Flinders Medical Centre.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: A Facebook post by a Jill Ellbourne on 9 November called into question the quality of food at the Flinders Medical Centre. It was accompanied by a rather sorrowful-looking photograph of the meal that had been dished up. Ms Ellbourne wrote that the food was so dry that nobody in the ward could eat it, and they were going hungry at dinnertime. She went on to say that staff were telling families to bring their own food, although staff were not allowed to reheat it.

My question to the minister is: has he had complaints about the quality of food at the Flinders Medical Centre, are staff telling patients that they need to bring in their own food because of concerns about the quality of the food and is it correct that staff are not allowed to reheat any food brought in by any family members?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for his question. I am aware that, on Thursday 31 October, a breakdown occurred at the Flinders Medical Centre in relation to their main dishwasher. That reduced the Flinders Medical Centre's dish washing capacity and, as a result, contingency plans were implemented.

The contingency plans involved crockery being replaced with biodegradable corn-based containers, which unfortunately, I am advised, have reduced thermal properties. My understanding is that the impact was most keenly felt in the medical and surgical areas. Parts had to be secured to repair the dishwasher. I am advised that the dishwasher returned to full operation on Thursday 7 November.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Pangallo, a supplementary.