‘Hi-tech eyes and ears’ launched to watch over the health system as vulnurable South Australians granted free flu shots

Free flu shots will be available for 600,000 South Australians as part of the state’s winter demand strategy, which also includes the launch of a “hi-tech eyes and ears over the health system”.

Free flu shots will be available for 600,000 vulnerable South Australians as part of SA Health’s winter demand strategy – unlike last year when free shots were available to everyone – as a “hi-tech eyes and ears over the health system” is launched.

The announcement comes as new data shows a significant drop in ambulance ramping, with a still-high 2810 hours lost on the ramp in April, a nearly 30 per cent reduction from March’s record 3968 hours.

The winter demand plan includes a new virtual State Health Control Centre to give 24/7 oversight of the entire health system.

The centre’s executive lead David Morris described the new centre as the “hi-tech eyes and ears over the healthcare system” allowing better co-ordination to ensure resources are directed where they are needed, including diverting ambulances to hospitals with available emergency department capacity.

Ambulances at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

The centre being launched this week will be linked with hospital and SA Ambulance Service operation centres and be based at the SA Virtual Care Service at Tonsley before moving to the new SA Ambulance Service Headquarters at Mile End when it opens in 2025.

It will have a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, including nursing staff, medical staff and paramedics, supported by experts in predictive data and analytics, simulation, training and logistics.

The ramping figure for April is the lowest in a year as every hospital recorded improvements.

Ambulance response times also improved, with the best Priority 1 response times recorded since August 2021.

In April paramedics reached 68 per cent of Priority 1 cases within the recommended eight minutes which was above the 60 per cent target. For Priority 2 cases, paramedics reached 60 per cent of patients within the recommended 16 minutes.

Professor Nicola Spurrier and Health Minister Chris Picton discuss the winter demand health strategy at the SA Virtual Care Service, May 3. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The winter demand strategy includes:

Implementing a fully staffed ambulance triage space in the Lyell McEwin Hospital ED, with additional nurses deployed to staff four transit bays allowing the rapid offload of patients from ambulances;

Increasing assessment capacity in the Flinders Medical Centre ED, with an extra four spaces for rapid checks of walk-in and ambulance arrivals;

Increasing SAAS staff at EDs during peak busy periods, assisting with the triage and rapid offload and release of ambulances;

Additional nurse roles in ED waiting rooms to commence interventions early and improve communication between patients, families, and staff.

The free flu vaccine will be available for under 5s, over 65s, pregnant women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander South Australians, and people with pre-existing health conditions.

Health Minister Chris Picton said the winter demand strategy aimed to protect South Australians.

“It’s pleasing to see significant improvements in ramping for April but we know there is much more to do,” he said.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier encouraged people to get vaccinated against the flu.

“If you are a parent, I especially encourage you to get your children vaccinated – in 2022, only 1 in 3 young South Australian children were vaccinated against the flu,” she said.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn noted that under the National Immunisation Program vaccines are provided free for vulnerable groups every year.

“It’s incredibly disappointing and a missed opportunity by Peter Malinauskas not making flu vaccinations free for every South Australian, with cases already 17 times higher this year compared with the same time last year,” she said.

“We should be doing everything we possibly can to help alleviate pressure on our emergency departments, particularly as we’re heading into winter.”