Ambulance Employees Association criticises report, says deaths could have been prevented

A report released by the South Australian Ambulance Service on Friday has been criticised by the state’s governing ambulance employee association.

The state’s ambulance employees body has criticised an “indefensible” report that was released by the SA Ambulance Service on Friday.

The report revealed how ambulance delays have surged since July last year, resulting in dozens of cases that put patients in unnecessary danger – including two who died.

It found a “concerning trend” of increased ambulance delays reported between July and November 2020, which had continued to grow since the report began.

But the Ambulance Employees Association said it is too little, too late.

AEA Senior Industrial Officer Rob Leaney said while it was positive the report highlighted “serious risks”, the association felt it had not been listened to.

“The unfortunate deaths contained in this report are a disgrace and, if the Government had heeded our repeated warnings over recent years, there could well have been a different outcome for these patients,” he said.

“Our sympathies go out to all the families who have been impacted, and unfortunately lost their loved ones, in these circumstances.”

Health Minister Stephen Wade said the State Government had a plan to “put more crews on the road and better match ambulance demand with ambulance availability” but it was being delayed by pay negotiations.