SA Ambulance Service calls in more taxis in latest ramping fix

Sending taxis in response to more triple-0 calls will free up paramedics, according to SA Ambulance Service’s latest ramping fix.

More taxis will be used for people who call triple-0 in a move which will cut ambulances stuck ramped in hospital car parks waiting to offload non-urgent patients.

SA Ambulance Service will expand its use of taxis for non-urgent patients by allowing on-road paramedics to decide if a cab is an appropriate option.

The move will see some patients put in taxis — at no cost — and taken to places such as GP clinics and GP-led Priority Care Centres or hospital emergency departments when no other options are available

At present highly trained paramedics who take triple-0 calls and assess the situation can make the decision to send a taxi rather than ambulance. Taxis have been used it for more than 700 patients this year.

Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton said the government was hiding the true extent of the ramping crisis. Picture: Brenton Edwards

SAAS assistant executive director of statewide operational services Kate Clarke said: “We know we often assist people who have called triple-0 not because they need an emergency ambulance, but because they have exhausted other options and do not have transport or support to get them to health care.

“There has been a large amount of feedback from operational clinicians that this option should also be available on-road and the update of the procedure opens this opportunity, once the training is completed.”

Ms Clarke stressed the system has safeguards and taxis can only be used:

AFTER a detailed clinical assessment by a SAAS clinician;

WHERE an appropriate care pathway exists, and this may include an ED;

WHERE the clinical assessment has deemed it safe for the patient to travel by taxi;

WHERE the patient does not require clinical care during transport;

WHERE the patient consents to travel by taxi.

Ambulances ramping at Flinders Medical Centre. Picture: Supplied

“Above all, we know that all SAAS clinicians will make patient-centred decisions based on patient needs and their own clinical judgment,” Ms Clarke said.

Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton has accused the government of hiding the most recent ramping figures.

Yesterday many patients were ramped for over 6 hours in the back of ambulances. Our ambos were working overtime with oncoming night-shift crews having to be sent to hospital ramps in taxis to take over the care of ramped patients. #saparli#stoprampingpic.twitter.com/utwNo46geR

— Ambulance Employees Association (SA) (@aeasa1981) August 3, 2021

“With worst ever ramping and ambulance response times it is shocking the Liberals’ supposed solution is sending out taxi cabs instead,” he said. “What training do taxi drivers have to manage someone’s condition if it worsens on the way to an emergency department?

“Instead of getting out the CabCharge card, the Liberals need to stop their redundancy program in health and urgently put more ambulances on the road.”

SAAS has contracts with taxi services in Adelaide, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Port Pirie and Port Lincoln and is talking with regional providers in efforts to make the option more widely available.