The Malinauskas Labor Government will double the number of extra beds at the Lyell McEwin Hospital – increasing from 24 beds to 48 beds to move even more patients out of the busy emergency department and help start fixing the ramping crisis.
The Government has allocated $58 million in the State Budget to build the beds to provide more capacity and staff when the project is complete. Labor at the election pledged 24 extra beds for Lyell McEwin Hospital, and this budget commitment doubles the number of beds.
The new beds will be located in a dedicated inpatient building which was built during the redevelopment of Lyell McEwin Hospital when Labor was last in Government to provide space for beds into the future. The existing building will be redeveloped and two more levels added, which will accommodate the 48 new beds split across both floors.
Despite the increase in demand across hospitals over the last four years, the former Liberal Government failed to provide extra capacity in this building.
The new hospital beds will enable patients coming into the ED to be admitted and moved to a bed faster, and to get the care they need in an appropriate environment.
Work will start on constructing the new beds by mid-next year, with all options being considered to fast-track the development.
When Labor was last in Government it announced and funded a redevelopment and expansion of Lyell McEwin's emergency department which is currently underway.
The first stage of this redevelopment will be completed within weeks, delivering space for more beds and treatment, dedicated assessment and treatment spaces for children. The project will also deliver a new Mental Health Short Stay Unit that will provide care for patients and move them out of the busy ED.
At the election Labor pledged to provide more than 300 extra beds across the hospital system for more capacity and to reduce pressure across hospitals – and help to fix the former Government's ambulance ramping crisis.
Quotes
Attributable to Peter Malinauskas
I made it clear that Labor in government would prioritise increasing capacity at our hospitals. We went to the election pledging 24 extra beds for Lyell McEwin Hospital, but in Thursday's State Budget we will now deliver 48 extra beds.
This is an acknowledgement that Lyell McEwin Hospital is extremely busy and is providing treatment and care to a growing community.
These beds will be located in a building that Labor built when last in Government to prepare for more demand. The former Government failed to use this space for extra capacity despite increasing demand from the local community.
Attributable to Stephen Mullighan
The beds will provide a significant boost to capacity at Lyell McEwin and reduce pressure and access block across the hospital, and especially in the emergency department.
More beds to reduce access block in hospitals is what is needed to reduce ramping with ambos able to safely transfer their patients into the emergency department.
Greater capacity at Lyell McEwin provides an important boost to health care in Adelaide's north.
Attributable to Chris Picton
When we came to office we knew that the previous Government had failed to properly resource the health system. We inherited a hospital system that is under enormous pressure with increasing demand and the impacts of COVID and flu.
Ambos and emergency staff are extremely stretched because we don't have enough beds and staff in the system. Labor pledged more than 300 extra beds for the health system – and we are getting on with delivering.
These 48 new beds at Lyell McEwin Hospital will significantly boost capacity at the busy and growing hospital and help to address the access block that leads to ramping.
Building these new beds is a priority and the Department and Local Health Network are being tasked with getting work started on this project as soon as possible.
