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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-10-12 Daily Xml
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Hospital Beds

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding hospitals. After the minister's chief executive revealed this week that only around 100 extra beds could immediately be brought on line to deal with a COVID surge but we would likely need to triple that number, can the minister explain exactly why the government has cancelled the leases on the Wakefield and College Grove hospitals, and why would the government pay for extra hospital capacity when we thankfully did not need it but then cancel the extra capacity right before COVID-19 is expected to come into South Australia?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:44): Could I ask the honourable member to repeat the last part of the question?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The second part was why would the government pay for extra hospital capacity when we thankfully did not need it but then cancel the extra capacity right before COVID-19 is expected to come back into South Australia?

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I don't know what the honourable member is referring to.

The Hon. C.M. Scriven: Opening the borders.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: If I could be given the courtesy of an answer, because I gave her the courtesy of a question. The leases that she is referring to lapsed months ago, and it was in public documents. The last budget papers reported the fact that these leases had lapsed. If the honourable members would like to come here making accusations on the government, they might like to get their facts right.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Hunter and the deputy leader will be silent.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Nonetheless, I would like to thank the honourable member for her question because it gives me an opportunity to remind the house of work that is being done by this government to make sure this state is COVID ready. A key element of our plan for opening—

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Excuse me. A key part of our plan to open up is to increase inpatient capacity. We have already announced an extra 60 beds, 16 additional beds at the Gawler Health Service to support the north, 30 additional transition to home beds at the Repat, 15 hospital-level geriatric care beds in the community. This is on top of adding progressively around 140 treatment spaces to our emergency departments, and we will continue to make more and more announcements detailing elements—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —of the bed capacity.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, you have concluded your answer?

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