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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-03-24 Daily Xml
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ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (14:33): My question is to the Minister for Health. What is the cost saving to government of now not having at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital full catering, pathology, pharmacy, equipment sterilisation and outpatient services?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:34): I thank the member for the question. In answer to the previous question, I have checked with my office and the windows will open at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. I do not know where the information is coming from.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: You can open double-glazed windows. The Leader of the Opposition's question to me was based on a false premise, just as the honourable member for Morphett's question, no matter how he likes to phrase it, was based on a false premise. Of course there will be pathology services at the hospital, there will be sterilisation—

Dr McFetridge: Full.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Well, what does 'full' mean? Define 'full' to me. Let me explain how pathology services work.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Define 'fool'—Duncan McFetridge.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: No, that was 'full'. It's a posh accent. Let me explain it to you. We have a pathology service in South Australia called SA Pathology which provides pathology right across the state, both to the public and private sector. The headquarters is on Frome Road and each of the hospitals has some service, depending on the size and scale of their needs, and that will continue to be the case.

If you say not every hospital has a full service, that is probably true: not every hospital has the headquarters of SA Pathology, but that is true of Lyell McEwin, Flinders and all the hospitals. There is an integrated service that provides the appropriate range of pathology services so that, at the hospital, there will be a pathology service which is the service that is required for immediate short-term needs and then a longer diagnostic range of services will be provided from headquarters. Whether that is the Royal Adelaide or elsewhere is really irrelevant.

Mr Marshall: Most of them have got a kitchen.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Is that right?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: It is good, isn't it? We are also looking at how we can better provide services across the whole of our system (and that includes catering, imaging and sterilisation) so that we have the best possible standard of service right across the system.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: It is remarkable, Madam Speaker, how they are not interested in facts.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister should be allowed to answer in silence.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: They are just interested in hearing their own voices, competing with each other like so many hungry birds in a nest.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order.

Mr PENGILLY: 128.

The SPEAKER: Order! I think the minister is about to wind up his question, is he?

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I was making the point, Madam Speaker, that we are developing the very best services across the state which will be available to all our hospitals so, whichever hospital you are in, you will get the absolute best service that we can provide.

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