Ramping figures have fallen to just under 3000 hours in October

Ramping numbers continued to fall for the third month running, but the opposition has claimed it’s still “the worst ramping in state history.”

Artist impression of the 98-bed tower at Flinders Medical Centre now under construction

Ramping dipped just under 3000 hours in October which the state government welcomed as the best October figure since 2021 and the third successive monthly fall.

The 2983 hours of patients stuck in ambulances in hospital car parks waiting to be unloaded into emergency departments, tying up paramedics from other calls, compares to 3106 hours lost in September, 5284 hours in August and the record 5539 hours lost in July.

It is still higher than the 2711 hours recorded in March 2022 when the state election was held with Labor vowing to “fix” ramping if elected.

The drop comes as SA Health pays metropolitan private hospitals to take on average almost 100 public patients a night to ease pressure on the public system, at a cost they are unable to determine.

Premier Peter Malinauskas and Health Minister Chris Picton released the ramping figures while visiting Flinders Medical Centre to note construction has started on expansion of the facility

The new 98-bed, seven-level Acute Services Building is part of a $498m investment, jointly funded by the state and federal governments, to increase hospital capacity in Adelaide’s south including a 160-bed expansion across Flinders Medical Centre and the Repat.

Artist impression of the new FMC building now under construction.

Artist impression of the new FMC building now under construction.

Four operating theatres in the new building will increase theatre capacity by 25 per cent, and it will include two 32-bed adult inpatient units, an 18-same-day-bed medical day unit, as well as a 16-bed intensive care unit and supporting CAT scanner suite.

The start of construction comes in a year patients have been forced to sleep in corridors at FMC due to overcrowding.

Mr Malinauskas said: “We are building a bigger health system and it’s delivering results.

“We know there is more work to do and we’re getting on with that job.

“It’s why we are delivering 600 beds across our state to help South Australians receive better healthcare and reduce ramping.”

However, Opposition leader Vincent Tarzia said Labor was elected on a mandate to fix ramping but instead has delivered the worst ramping in state history.

“We have now lost over 112,000 hours of paramedics’ and patients’ time on ramps outside our emergency departments – that’s the equivalent of over 12.5 years lost,” he said.

“The amount of hours lost to ramping in October 2024 is still higher than the worst month under the former Liberal government. Labor had delivered more ramping in its first 2.5 years in government than the former Liberal government did in its entire term, including a global pandemic.”