SA Health postpones elective surgery as surge in patients overflows South Australian hospitals

A SURGE in hospital patients has forced SA Health to postpone elective surgery as they struggle to cope with the high demand across the state.

• Ambulance ramping at new RAH two days after opening

A SURGE in hospital patients has forced SA Health to postpone elective surgery as they struggle to cope with the high demand across the state.

The Royal Adelaide Hospital has weathered the bulk of the demand and several ambulances were ramped at the emergency department between noon and 4pm on Monday.

By midafternoon, there were 18 ambulances in the RAH carpark with more en route. Ambulances were also forced to ramp at Flinders Medical Centre and there were average waits of more than an hour at all hospitals.

All Adelaide public hospital EDs were on the highest level – Code White – as the number of patients being treated far outstripped capacity.

The demand forced SA Health to postpone elective surgery and to take patients to hospitals at Gawler and Mt Barker.

An SA Health spokeswoman said the number of patients was, in part, due to the “honey pot effect” at the new hospital.

Meanwhile, European technicians are in town fine-tuning the RAH’s robotic Automated Guided Vehicles – known as “Rahbots” – as staff deal with teething problems at the new $2.3 billion facility.

The fleet of 25 Rahbots travel in dedicated lifts, carrying loads including food trolleys, to points where they are collected by staff for delivery to patients.

Some meals due to be delivered by the Rahbots failed to arrive after the meal orders made on bedside electronic consoles did not reach the ordering system.

It is understood this occurred when meals ordered with special dietary requirements saw the system default to a “no order” command.

Officials say this has been rectified, and that the problem was with the IT system rather than the Rahbots themselves.

The technicians servicing them are part of a planned visit to fine-tune schedules and routes to ensure maximum efficiency. Hospital staff have also been rectifying IT issues affecting the pharmacy and telephone systems.

Ambulance ramping is occurring at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. Picture: Matt Turner

SA Health chief executive Vickie Kaminski said teething problems with a project the size of the new hospital were to be expected.