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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-10-16 Daily Xml
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Hospital Beds

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:49): My questions are to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing:

1. Can the minister confirm that a patient was sent home in excruciating pain from the Flinders Medical Centre yesterday as a result of the minister's decision to close hospital beds?

2. Can the minister confirm why that patient, a Mr Dennis Murphy, was in fact sent home?

3. Has the minister been asked by the Premier to respond to an email from Mr Dennis Murphy alerting the government to his plight?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:49): We will go directly to the assertion in the question: is there a link between the treatment of Mr Murphy and the government's support for CALHN's decision to put beds on stand-by last week? Clearly, there is no link, because the Flinders Medical Centre is not in CALHN. It's not in the relevant network. But let me address what matters most to me. What matters most to me is that South Australians get quality care. I have seen the footage and I am obviously concerned. No-one wants to see their loved one distressed or uncomfortable.

I have received initial advice from the local health network. It particularly asserts that the patient was mobile at discharge. That's not consistent with information I have received, so I am keen to get a formal briefing. I have asked SALHN to provide me with a full briefing at the earliest opportunity. But let's be clear: I want to apologise to the family and to the patient. We apologise to anyone who feels that the health system has let them down.

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