RAH assessment centre to combat increase in emergency department demand

New data shows South Australia has recorded the worst year of ambulance wait times on record with 39 per cent of the most urgent emergency cases not being seen on time.

South Australian ambulance response times were the worst on record this financial year with just 61 per cent of category 1 patients – the most urgent – being seen on time.

New data released by the SA Ambulance Service also shows only 55 per cent of Category 2 patients being seen on time.

In May, sick patients spent 3412 hours ramped outside hospitals compared to 2800 hours at the same time last year.

Ambulances in the metropolitan area are supposed to arrive at Category 1 call-outs within eight minutes, and almost half of category two patients were left waiting for an ambulance longer than the accepted 16-minute response time.

Last year, 68 per cent of Category 1 patients were seen on time, down from 79 per cent eight year ago.

Health Minister Chris Picton said more than 100 patients were stuck waiting in emergency departments for long periods because of a shortage of beds.

“There’s no doubt the previous Government had failed to properly resource the health system,” he said.

“This is the first winter since the pandemic hit that our health system will be required to manage both COVID-19 and the flu, as well as normal winter demand, and we know this will be a challenge.”

Chris Picton speaks during a press conference. Picture: Mark Brake

Health shadow Minister Ashton Hurn said the Labor Party had “waved the white flag” and was “desperately” attempting to reframe ramping as a national crisis.

“News of ramping has turned off like a tap since the election, and now we know why - data released today shows it’s getting worse under labor’s watch,” Mrs Hurn said in a statement on Twitter.

Mrs Hurn added that May 2022 has seen a 30 per cent increase in ramping compared to April 2022.

A main focus of Labor’s state election campaign was to fix ambulance ramping and emergency department waiting times.

In last week’s State Budget, the new state government also announced more than 550 extra hospital beds and hundreds more paramedics would be funded in a record $2.4bn health spend.

Mr Picton announced on Monday a new Winter Demand Strategy including 80 new hospital beds and a new hospital centre which will open in two weeks to streamline patient intake that would usually go through the emergency department.

Mr Picton said the new centre would “take the pressure off the emergency departments, particularly at the Royal Adelaide Hospital”.

This “urgent” project will introduce 12 beds taken from the current Covid care clinic.

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

“(It will) make sure that people can get to those specialist surgeons or other clinicians inside the hospital in a much easier way,” he said.

The winter strategy also includes eight additional “transit beds” for discharge patients from the RAH.

The Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s Covid Kids virtual program will also be expanded to include all respiratory infections.

“We’ve seen right across the system that there isn’t enough capacity,” Mr Picton said.

He said over the past few months, 180 beds had already opened.

“We have clearly got plans in terms of making sure that we can build 554 beds across the health system.”