Health Services, Northern Adelaide

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:04): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: The northern suburbs of Adelaide are experiencing extremely strong growth. Will the minister update the council on what the government is doing to support health services in the north?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:05): I thank the honourable member for his question.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The Marshall Liberal government is continuing to deliver on its promises and deliver the $58 million upgrade to the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Leader of the Opposition!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Through this development we are delivering quality health care for people in the northern suburbs. I had the pleasure of visiting the hospital last week to see the progress made on the redevelopment.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition is out of order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Once completed, the expansion will provide an additional 1,900 square metres of emergency clinical space which will house a total of 72 treatment spaces, an increase from the original 39. Further to the additional 33 emergency department treatment spaces, we are also delivering a new eight-bed mental health short-stay unit which will provide a more appropriate place for people who present with mental health issues to receive treatment.

We are now approaching the halfway mark in this construction, a strong demonstration of the government's commitment to improve mental health services in the north. In our mission to deliver better health care closer to home we will also provide dedicated paediatric assessment and treatment spaces and ensure resuscitation and triage capabilities are enhanced. To support the growing demand on this hospital we have already delivered a 205 car park extension which was opened in June 2020.

The Lyell McEwin redevelopment is on track to have half the new emergency treatment spaces operational in the first half of next year, with the entirety of the project due to be completed by the end of 2022. The $58 million investment in the Lyell McEwin makes up a part of the Marshall Liberal government's $3 billion hospital infrastructure commitment to South Australia. Residents of Adelaide's north were particularly impacted by Labor's failings with significant service downgrades at Modbury Hospital which put additional pressure on the Lyell McEwin. The redevelopment of the largest hospital in the north, as well as expanded services and upgrades at Modbury Hospital are literally concrete examples of the Marshall Liberal government's commitment to the north.