Ramping fell to 3290 hours lost in September

Ramping fell in September compared to August and ambulance response times have improved – but the government is not declaring “mission accomplished”.

Ambulance ramping fell by 11.6 per cent in September compared to August, but there were still a total of 3290 hours lost.

Acting Health Minister Susan Close said there were some pleasing trends but “there is no sense of complacency or mission accomplished”.

Ambulance response times also improved, with 67.6 per cent of Priority 1 (emergency) call-outs in metropolitan Adelaide attended to within the target eight minutes, up from 52.4 per cent this time last year.

In addition, 59.1 per cent of Priority 2 (urgent) call-outs in metropolitan Adelaide arrived within their target of 16 minutes up from 45.4 per cent this time last year.

Ms Close said the government election commitment to address the ramping crisis was to “increase ambulance response times”.

“We’ve significantly invested in our hospital and ambulance services – and already we’ve seen 149 additional ambos hit our roads since we formed government,” she said.

“In just our first 12 months of government we recruited an additional 550 full time clinical staff, including 278 extra nurses and 89 extra doctors.”

Forty-eight paramedic interns were inducted this week into the SA Ambulance Service.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn, said South Australians are “growing sick and tired

of Labor’s excuses and just want them to deliver on their promise to ‘fix ramping’.”

“For Labor to claim these ramping statistics are ‘incredibly pleasing’ is an appalling joke,”

Mrs Hurn said.

“It’s not pleasing for the South Australians who have spent 3290 hours stuck on the ramp

waiting to get inside our hospitals.

“Ramping this month is worse than any month under the former Liberal Government’s four

years – and it’s been delivered by a government whose key election promise was to fix

ramping.”

The latest ramping data comes as the SA Ambulance Service welcomed a record intake of paramedic interns.

This week saw the service induct 48 recruits – an increase of 16 positions from 2022.

The new recruits will spend the next five weeks completing induction and clinical education, before heading to supervised practice on the road in November.

They will be located across SA for 12 months to complete their internships before taking permanent postings.

Five will head to regional areas and 43 will be stationed in metropolitan suburbs including Woodville, which gains a new 24/7 16-paramedic crew this November.

SAAS chief executive Rob Elliott said the group was part of the 350 person boost to service numbers.

“We’re excited to have our largest ever single group of paramedic interns on board to help us to continue to provide the best possible emergency care to our South Australian communities.

“This is part of a significant resourcing boost that will increase the number of paramedics available to respond to our patients.”

Kate, a paramedic intern who recently graduated from Flinders University said it was a privilege to join the service.

“I can’t wait to see what the year ahead has in store,” she said.

“I was driven towards SAAS after hearing of the supportive internship and the opportunities that are available.

“Many of us studied together at university, so having the opportunity to share this experience with friends and benefit from their continued support as we navigate this next phase of life is truly special.

“I enjoy helping others and love the thrill of no day being the same.

“It is still early days, but I suspect we all have a really rewarding career ahead of us.”