Page 1268 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 16 April 1991
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hospitals and beds. Obviously, one bed might be occupied by one person for a whole month, or be occupied by several people during that month. And that, of course, is no reflection on the bed. It is a reflection on the number of people who are going through the hospital system.
Mr Duby: It might be that they want to get out of it.
MR HUMPHRIES: It could be. Mr Speaker, the point is that a better assessment of the performance of our hospital system, I think, is in the admission rates. The admission rate in July last year for our three public hospitals stood at about 2,500 for that month. It declined to about 2,200 in January of this year. Naturally, that is a period - - -
Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: The Minister has got off the subject of the question. The question was about waiting lists, resulting from his proposed reduction in orthopaedic beds from 36 to 21. He took it on notice, and now we are getting a rambling reply about something which seems to be irrelevant.
Mr Humphries: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: I am addressing the question of waiting lists and admission rates in our public hospital system. That directly relates to the question Ms Follett asked.
Mr Berry: If the Minister really wants to direct his attention to waiting lists, he could answer the questions I have on notice. This issue is about orthopaedic beds.
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: Mr Berry is debating the issue; he is not making a point of order.
MR SPEAKER: One at a time, please, Chief Minister. Continue, Mr Berry.
Mr Berry: Thank you, Chief Minister, for sitting down. The question was specifically about the proposed reduction in orthopaedic surgery beds from 36 to 21; nothing more than that. The Minister took it on notice. I think he ought to leave it there.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you for your observation, Mr Berry.
Mr Kaine: The point of order that I was making, Mr Speaker, is simply that Mr Berry was debating the issue. He was not raising a point of order at all. I think, Mr Speaker, you should control him in future.
MR SPEAKER: Please proceed, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: I can understand why the Opposition is sensitive about these facts; they are quite telling about the efficiency and effectiveness of our hospital system.
Mr Berry: You have to rule on the point of order.
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