Damning reports into SA ambulance service finds man who had heart attack could have lived had paramedics arrived on time

A 47-year-old man who had a heart attack could have been saved – if paramedics hadn’t been held up by ramping, an inquiry has found.

A 47-year-old heart attack victim could have been saved if paramedics had been able to respond, an inquiry into his death last month has found.

A report by Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael Cusack released on Tuesday found the man identified only as “AR” was unattended for 41 minutes after calling triple-0 with chest and jaw pain.

Dr Cusack found had a paramedic crew been with him at the time of his cardiac arrest he may have been successfully resuscitated at the scene or on the way to hospital.

AR had been driving on Anzac Highway in Plympton on 8 August 2022, but due to increased demand and delays caused by ramping, no paramedics could attend, and he died at the scene.

A second review looked into why a 77-year-old woman waited more than two-and-a-half hours for an ambulance with head and hip injuries from a fall outside her Andrews Farm home in June.

Dr Cusack found a combination of ramping across metropolitan hospitals, SAAS staff absences due to illness and high triple-0 demand led to the delay.

It resulted in care “far below what would be expected” and likely delayed her recovery, he said.

Ramping at Adelaide hospitals, including the RAH and the Modbury Hospital. Picture supplied by Phil Palmer of Ambulance Employees Association

Dr Cusack’s recommendations included:

HEART attack victims to receive the first available ambulance response

CLINICAL support for dispatchers to prioritise patients according to their needs

SAAS review response priorities during peak demand to ensure crews are focused on those most in need

SAAS identify ways to immediately release crews and boost capacity when required

IMPROVED communication between SAAS and emergency departments to provide more timely care to patients regardless of their location

INCREASED hospital flow to reduce ramping

Health Minister Chris Picton said the government had accepted the recommendations and already asked local health networks across Adelaide to implement the changes as a priority.

The government is also planning for better MFS responses to urgent cardiac cases.

The two reports were released as new SA Ambulance Service data released monthly by the state government shows ramping for August 2022 was 3763 hours.

“This report clearly sets out the issues that led to the tragedy and how we can take action to prevent similar tragedies from occurring,’’ Mr Picton said.

Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr Emily Kirkpatrick said improvements would be made.

“The reviews include a series of recommendations that require all areas of our health system to take meaningful actions to increase our ambulance service capacity when it’s urgently required,’’ she said.

Mr Picton also announced a ward of beds would be freed at Flinders Medical Centre and more NDIS and aged-care patients discharged from hospital under a new partnership with a private provider.

Griffith Rehabilitation Hospital, at Hove, will provide 30 extra beds – more beds than a standard hospital ward – to FMC patients who no longer need acute care but require additional support before transitioning back home.