Ambo ramping was worst on record in August, union says
Leaked data shows how many mental health patients are waiting more than a day to be treated – as the ambulance union warns ramping is worse than ever.
SA News
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Ambulance ramping has reached record levels while there has been a blowout in mental health patients waiting more than 24 hours for a bed after being treated in two major emergency departments.
The Ambulance Employees Association says last month was the worst on record for ramping, with ambulances spending more than 2090 hours queued in metropolitan hospital carparks waiting to offload patients to EDs.
Hospitals remain under stress this month, with five on Code White at 4pm on Wednesday — treating more patients than their ED capacity — including Flinders Medical Centre which was treating 73 patients in its 53-capacity ED.
Data leaked from within SA Health to the Opposition also shows 24 per cent of mental health patients presenting at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 2019 are waiting more than 24 hours compared with 7 per cent two years ago, although official SA Health data shows the respective figures at 31 per cent so far this year compared to 14 per cent two years ago.
Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton said the logjam in EDs comes as the government offers voluntary separation packages to staff at the RAH and QEH including doctors and nurses.
The offer is also open to staff at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, which at 4pm on Wednesday was treating 31 patients in its 26-capacity ED and had an average waiting time of 145 minutes to be seen.
“Under the Marshall Liberal Government, the performance of our emergency departments is getting worse — yet now the Liberals are planning mass job cuts, including doctors and nurses,” Mr Picton said.
“These statistics reveal more mental health patients are spending more than 24 hours in emergency departments — this contributes towards emergency department overcrowding, which affects everyone presenting to a hospital.
“The Marshall Liberal Government must reverse these jobs cuts and instead choose to invest in our hospitals to put patients before profits.”
Mr Picton said ambulances are now spending double the time ramped compared to the last state election and warned that the plan to cut staff at key hospitals by offering separation packages “is going to be a disaster.”
Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade disputed Mr Picton’s statistics and said: “There has been a period of high demand through our hospital system over recent weeks. August and September are traditionally the busiest months for our hospitals.
“I would like to thank our hardworking staff for their efforts during this challenging time and the public for their patience.”