Elective Surgery

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:24): Supplementary: how can the minister explain that as of September the SA Health website listed the following for elective surgery waiting times: category 1 procedures that are clinically indicated within 30 days; category 2 procedures within 90 days; and category 3 procedures within 365 days. Today, the CEO of SA Health—

The PRESIDENT: The member has to ask his question.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: My question is: why are South Australians being forced to wait eight years or more, contrary to the information on his department's website?

The PRESIDENT: I will allow the minister to answer. I think we are getting a bit far away from the original, but the minister can answer.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:25): Even more so, I think we have jumped categories. The Hon. Connie Bonaros's question, as I understood it, was in relation to outpatient waiting times, and the Hon. Frank Pangallo is now asking about elective surgery waiting times. In relation to elective surgery, I am pleased to inform the house that since the COVID-19 peak in May there has been a more than 40 per cent reduction in the overdue waits for elective surgery.