Signs reportedly hanging in the RAH warning patients of delays in medication administration

Signs hanging in a RAH ward warning patients they may not get their medication on time this week have since been removed – as SA Health insists there are no delays in care.

SA Health has insisted patients at the Royal Adelaide Hospital will receive timely administration of medication despite signs warning patients of delays in care.

The unofficial laminated signs were hanging in a RAH ward this week, stating a large amount of nurses in isolation or quarantine have put an “unprecedented strain on our workforce”.

“As a result of this, some of your medications may be delayed a little from the time that you would normally take them,” the signs say.

Ambulances entering the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards

“Additionally, it might be that you are not offered a bed sponge, shower or change of bed linen until lunch time when the late shift begins and are able to support the early shift.”

The signs have since been removed from the ward.

A statement from SA Health said RAH patients could be assured they would “continue to receive appropriate and safe care during their admission, including timely administration of medications”.

“We recognise there are significant workforce pressures across the entire health network due to the Omicron variant and we want to thank our hard working staff for their commitment during this challenging period of the pandemic,” the statement said.

It said measures were in place as part of a system-wide response to Covid, including the cancellation of non-urgent elective surgery and increasing capacity across the public system.

It comes as the Australian Medical Association this week said the fallout from opening SA’s borders should serve as a lesson to the government.

AMA SA president Dr Michelle Atchison fronted a parliamentary inquiry into SA’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic on Tuesday, saying the AMA wanted the borders temporarily closed just days after they opened on November 23.