Ambulances will no longer attend all traffic accidents, SA Ambulance Service memo reveals
AMBULANCES will no longer routinely attend traffic accidents under plans to ease the strain on the health system — but critics say the move puts lives at risk.
- New RAH: Explore our flagship hospital with an interactive floorplan
- Ambulance panic as authorities race to ease hospital chaos across city
- ‘On the verge of violence’: One woman’s Emergency Dept experience
- Hospital EDs continue to overflow across Adelaide
AMBULANCES will no longer routinely attend traffic accidents under the State Government’s plan to ease pressure on the ambulance and hospital system — a move the Opposition slammed as putting patient lives at risk.
A directive which was not publicly announced as part of the government package to ease strain on the health system will see a change to the long-established practice of sending an ambulance to all accidents to assess those involved.
An SA Ambulance Service memo obtained by the Opposition shows ambulances will not longer be sent if those on the scene say there is no need for one — putting the onus on first responders to make medical assessments.
“Current policy is for SAAS to attend all motor vehicle accidents as a matter of course, regardless of whether the person who contacts an alternative emergency service, via Triple Zero (000) or other non-emergency line, specifically states that injuries have or have not occurred or that they do or do not require an ambulance,” the directive states.
“In response to our current situation, SAAS has to alter this practice in order to more effectively manage ambulance resources to respond to those emergencies where there are known patients.
“SAAS will continue to attend all road traffic collisions where there are reports of patients, requests from members of the public for ambulance attendance or an assessed high risk of patients by other emergency services (for example, a passer-by witnesses a high-speed collision but isn’t able to confirm if there is any patient).
“Please be advised that SAAS will not routinely respond to notifications from other emergency services of an MVA where there are no confirmed patients or if an ambulance is stated as not being required.”
The SA Ambulance Service has confirmed the move, saying ambulances will no longer routinely attend traffic accidents where there are no reports of injuries.
It says the move was made with the ambulance union and was welcomed by paramedics and officers.
“In 2016, SAAS attended 6663 motor vehicles accidents where there were no injuries — that’s more than 20 ambulances a day that could be deployed to patients requiring emergency care,” SAAS chief executive Jason Killens said.
“We will continue to attend all accidents where there are reports of injuries or where the position is unclear.”
The move follows the sudden change of policy which now sees callers to 000 assessed over the phone to see if it is a genuine emergency, and in cases judged of low priority a district nurse may be sent or the caller will be told to seek alternative help such as a GP. Nurses will also discharge some patients from hospital.
The Opposition condemned the move, citing research showing routine ambulance attendance at accidents cuts fatality rates.
Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade said it was an other example of policy on the run and that such major changes should first be trialled and assessed.
“This increases the risk to patients, and the stress on first responders,” he said, singling out the CFS as people first on the scene who now will be expected to decide if an ambulance is warranted.
“The government has come out with three new ideas this week which all threaten patient safety.
“It is a downgrade to a service and another example of Labor mismanagement leading to knee jerk, on-the-run management.”
SA Ambulance Service is holding a press conference on the situation on Thursday afternoon.
The change of policy comes as complaints continue to flow over meal service at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, which Health Minister Jack Snelling put down to isolated problems as staff and contractors Spotless get used to the new facility.
“Inevitably at a new hospital there are going to be a few teething problems,” he said.
“Spotless is still getting their systems up and running, every day there are a million things that go right, there might be a handful of things that don’t go right — we need to maintain a bit of perspective.”
Mr Snelling also bluntly rejected rumours on radio station FIVEaa that a Rahbot delivery robot had fallen down a lift shaft, saying it was ridiculous.
“It is absolutely untrue, there is no truth to that claim, no truth at all,” he said.