Peter Malinauskas says 50 new Lyell McEwin Hospital beds alone won’t cure SA’s ramping crisis
One of Adelaide’s biggest hospitals has 50 new beds but the Premier says he’s under no illusion about what they mean for the system.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Northern suburbs residents will have access to almost 50 new hospital beds on Monday, with a dozen more fast tracked for next year, but the government and health authorities have admitted it is not a “silver bullet” to curb ramping.
The Lyell McEwin Hospital will open 48 new beds on Monday, the first part of a commitment to increase capacity by 80 bed by the end of 2025, including 12 new acute surgical beds that will be created by moving an outpatient area elsewhere within the hospital.
Each bed is in a single room with its own ensuite, with specialty care features for patients requiring a higher level of support.
It also includes four large bariatric rooms, two negative pressure isolation rooms, four dementia-friendly rooms and four adjusted for people in distress.
The new beds will open as part of a $47m funding package.
The announcement comes as ramping hit a new high of 5539 hours lost in July – the first time it has broken the 5000 hours mark and smashing May’s record of 4773 hours.
The latest figure is more than double April 2022’s figure of 2638 hours lost — the first full month after Labor came to power in the March 2022 election with a core promise to “fix” ramping.
Northern Adelaide Local Health Network division director Dr Toby Gilbert admitted that while the beds will help tackle a current wave of flu, among other positive outcomes, “there’s no silver bullet for ramping”.
“It’s great that we’re going to get this extra capacity,” Dr Gilbert said.
“Is it going to help ramping?
“Yes it will (but) other places that it’s going to help are not quite so visible.”
Dr Gilbert said he hoped more beds would mean fewer patients being “put in places that are not meant to be used as wards”.
“We currently have patients in the ED who are admitted, who have been there for more than 24 hours,” he said.
“It’s no secret, and we don’t think that anybody should be in the emergency department for that long.”
Premier Peter Malinauskas said he expected the 48 new beds would be occupied within 24 hours of opening.
“These 48 beds will open tomorrow and tomorrow night those 48 beds will essentially be full because the capacity in the system has been under invested in for too long,” Mr Malinauskas said.
He said “work must be maintained” in order to meet demand for hospital beds.
“The 150 beds that we’re opening this year, then the 180 beds that we’re opening next year won’t be enough,” he said.
Health Minister Chris Picton said the government is “pulling every lever we can to add more hospital beds to our health system”.
Opposition leader Vincent Tarzia said while the new beds at Lyell McEwin Hospital are welcome, “we’ve got a ramping crisis that has never been worse”.
“They (the government) can talk about capacity and extra funding all they like but at the moment it’s just not making a difference,” Mr Tarzia said.
Alleged knife-wielding teen, 14, charged over armed robbery
A teenager will face court today after he allegedly robbed a store and threatened staff with a knife before hiding.
Tragic drowning victim only just reunited with children
A man who drowned after falling from rocks while fishing off Yorkes had only recently been reunited with his family, amid warnings for migrants and refugees.