RAH ED ranked worst in the nation, followed by Modbury, Lyell McEwin, Flinders Medical Centre and QEH

Four of South Australia’s major hospital emergency departments have been ranked at the bottom of a nationwide list.

• SA Health claims taxpayers owed almost $470m over RAH flaws
• Chronically gridlocked, partly because patients don’t want to go

The $2.4 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital has the worst performing emergency department in Australia, a report shows – immediately followed by Modbury Hospital, Lyell McEwin Hospital and Flinders Medical Centre.

The bottom-of-the-class placings, among more than 200 hospitals across Australia for 2017-18, are based on meeting the national goal of patients arriving at an ED and being seen, treated and moved on within four hours.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare ratings do not take into account clinical outcomes, only the time spent in EDs.

The RAH’s dismal result continues a record of running last nationally among major hospitals which dates back to 2013-14, apart from 2015-16’s second-last finish.

Last financial year the hospital was able to see only 45 per cent of ED patients within four hours, compared to top-ranked Mater Adult Hospital in Brisbane which hit 90 per cent.

Eighteen ambulances were queued for hours trying to transfer patients to the hospital but there was a lack of beds. Picture: Ambulance Employees Association

The Advertiser has reported how the RAH’s ED has been chronically gridlocked, with ambulances ramped in the carpark.

It was followed in the ranking by Modbury Hospital, Lyell McEwin Hospital and Flinders Medical Centre, while The Queen Elizabeth Hospital was eighth worst nationally.

All five hospitals recorded their worst results in five years.

A separate report by the institute shows a deterioration in elective surgery waiting times, with SA hospitals recording five of the 10 worst results.

The Royal Adelaide Hospital. Picture: AAP / Brenton Edwards

In a state of emergency

ROYAL Adelaide Hospital, worst ED performance in the nation, seeing just 45 per cent of the 77,695 presentations within the target of four hours;

MODBURY Hospital, second worst, seeing 47 per cent of 40,809 ED presentations within the four-hour target;

LYELL McEwin Hospital, third worst, seeing 50 per cent of 73,450 presentations within the four hours;

FLINDERS Medical Centre, fourth worst, seeing 52 per cent of 88,897 presentations within the four hours;

QUEEN Elizabeth Hospital, eighth worst, seeing 59 per cent of its 45,262 presentations within four hours.

ALL five of these hospitals recorded their worst result in the past five years.

NOARLUNGA Hospital managed a more respectable 70 per cent rate of its 40,895 presentations.

THE Women’s and Children’s Hospital ranked sixth of seven children’s hospitals with a 73 per cent rate for its 45,934 presentations.

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2017-18

Modbury Hospital. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Health Minister Stephen Wade said it was the “final report card on 16 years of Labor mismanagement of health”.

“This report card is a damning indictment on the former Labor government … it shows they drove our health system into the ground,” he said.

“Whenever Labor criticises the Marshall Government as we work to turn our health system around, this report card stands to condemn them for the state they left our health system in.

“We have the four worst performing emergency departments in the country and half of the 10 worst performing elective surgery waiting times at metropolitan hospitals. Peter Malinauskas and Chris Picton were the Labor health team responsible for this damning report card.

“They have no credibility when it comes to health.”

Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton said: “With the major logistical challenge of the move to the new RAH, it is not surprising that waiting times would have been worse around the time of the move.

“There’s clearly more to do to improve our hospital performance.

“The Liberals’ response of bringing in corporate liquidators to run hospitals is only going to make the situation worse.”