Ambulance ramping hits 4095 hours in March, the second worst month on record

Ramping outside the state’s public hospitals has risen to near record levels again including the worst month ever at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Ramping outside the state’s public hospitals has risen to near record levels again with emergency patients stuck for 4095 hours in hospital car parks in March.

It’s the second worst month on record and 338 hours more than February, according to the latest data from the state government.

The figure is well over double the 1522 hours lost in February 2022, the month before the last state election where “fixing” ramping was Labor’s core election promise.

The Royal Adelaide Hospital had its worst ever month of ramping in March with 1476 hours lost, as Modbury, Flinders, Queen Elizabeth, Noarlunga and Women’s and Children’s Hospital also recorded rises.

Ambulances at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWire

The new data also shows a 17 per cent increase in category 1 patients, or the most serious level, in comparison to the previous month.

There was also a five per cent increase in ambulance arrivals at emergency departments compared to February 2024.

Health Minister Chris Picton admitted the health system was under “intense pressure” at the moment but said more beds were being added to the state’s hospitals.

“We know we need more beds in our system and we are working tirelessly to build and open every bed that we can,” he said.

“This year alone we will open 150 new beds across our hospitals, with a further 130 beds next year – that’s the equivalent of a new Queen Elizabeth Hospital.”

Shadow Health Minister Ashton Hurn said South Australians were “sick and tired” of the government’s excuses and called on Premier Peter Malinauskas and Mr Picton to “fix ramping just like they promised”.

“These aren’t just numbers – they represent real South Australians who are stuck waiting

outside our hospitals on the ramp,” she said.

“Labor’s ramping record eclipses anything ever experienced under the former Liberal

Government – with ramping results showing that our patients and paramedics are more

likely to be ramped under this government than at any other point in our state’s history.”

The new data also shows 70.4 per cent of priority one and 64.4 per cent of priority two call-outs were reached on time in February – marginally down on the previous month.

SA Ambulance Service aims to attend to 60 per cent of priority one calls within eight minutes, and attend to 90 per cent of priority two calls within 16 minutes.

It comes as the government announced measures it introduced to reduce ramping at the Lyell McEwin Hospital were working, with the ramping hours down 45 per cent since October last year.