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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-08-02 Daily Xml
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Royal Adelaide Hospital Tours

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Health. Can you inform the house on what the response has been to the recent public tours conducted at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:55): I thank the member for Elder for the question. She certainly knows a first-class piece of health infrastructure when she sees it. There is strong excitement and pride in the community as we approach the opening of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital on 5 September. This world-class hospital will provide care for all South Australians for years to come and will set a benchmark for hospitals of the future, and it is clear that South Australian people agree.

It is fantastic to see just how excited people are about moving into the world's best hospital right here in Adelaide. The community overwhelmingly responded to the offer to view the new RAH prior to its opening. Over 5,500 South Australians secured tickets to participate in the new RAH tour days, which took place over six days over the last fortnight. In fact, the first release of nearly 3,000 tickets in the last week booked out in under two hours.

In response to this overwhelming demand, another tour day was added, with 700 tickets available. These additional tickets were snapped up in under 10 minutes. A final public release of just over 1,200 tickets was booked out in a few hours. As the media noted, a ticket to the tour days became the hottest ticket in town—hotter than Ed Sheeran tickets, I am told. Tours were led by volunteer tour guides from across SA Health and included a look at the intensive care unit, inpatient bedrooms, outpatient consulting rooms and the emergency department. The tour days also included 20 assisted tours for people who are mobility impaired.

Many attendees completed an exit survey at the end of their tour and rated the facility an average of 4.73 out of five, which is an amazing result. Many were impressed with the size of the hospital, the amount of natural light and the quality technology and design of the building. Comments were overwhelmingly positive, with the key messages being: exciting for SA, well worth the wait, fabulous new facility, impressive design and go Adelaide! In fact, one survey respondent went so far as to say, and I quote one South Australian's message to the opposition: 'The opposition needs to back off with their negativity—maybe they should spend a night here!' Maybe they should listen.

Unlike those opposite, who have taken every opportunity to talk down this amazing hospital, the South Australian people have voted with their feet, almost breaking the internet by snapping up tour day tickets to take their first glimpse of this hospital. Poor old Stephen Wade, doesn't he sound increasingly desperate and lonely? I think he has some idea, when the Leader of the Opposition sends him out and says, 'Now, go and stand by that hospital and say everyone hates it,' poor old Stephen has to go there. He sounds a bit like the Iraqi information minister, sent out by Saddam Hussein as the tanks are rolling into Baghdad, saying, 'Nothing to see here. The Americans are being wiped out in their thousands.'

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order: the minister is debating the substance of his own Dorothy Dixer.

The SPEAKER: Yes, that is one of the skills a minister needs. Member for Stuart.

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