Situation ‘normal’: EDs full, long waits, politicians arguing … and flu cases double

As hospitals yet again struggle to cope, the latest flu count shows cases are double what they were at the same time last year.

It’s looking like a horror flu season with almost double the cases compared to this time last year.

It comes as public hospital emergency departments were jammed on Wednesday morning with patients facing average waits of more than six hours to be seen at Flinders Medical Centre and Modbury Hospital and more than five hours at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

So far this year there have been 1649 flu cases recorded, almost double the 842 recorded at the same time last year which went on to record 22,405 cases.

While wait times eased as the day went on, at 11am clinicians at FMC, the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital were all treating more people in their EDs than their official capacity.

The crush comes amid ongoing ramping with March the second worst month on record with 4095 hours lost to ambulances stuck in hospital car parks waiting to unload patients.

This was despite a trial of “corridor care” at FMC until it was dumped amid public outrage and clinicians’ concerns.

Opposition leader David Speirs called on the government to release its winter demand plan citing concern the flu season may peak earlier than usual.

Opposition leader David Speirs is concerned how bad the flu season is in early April. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

“We know winter time is one of the busiest for our hospitals and EDs with an influx of sick South Australians presenting with the flu,” Mr Speirs said.

“We’re only in April and nowhere near close to the depths of winter, but Peter Malinauskas and Labor have already resorted to banning elective surgery to free up hospital beds.

“This type of action from Peter Malinauskas and Labor signals that things could get far worse when the freezing temperatures set in.”

However, Health Minister Chris Picton blasted the call as “hypocrisy” noting the Liberals did not release a winter plan in three out of their four years in government.

Health Minister Chris Picton says they will release their winter plan before winter. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Roy VanDerVegt

“We will release our winter demand strategy well in advance of winter, like we do every year,” he said.

“Our hospitals face huge demand year-round, not just in winter, which is why, again unlike the Liberals, we also have a much broader plan to increase capacity across our health system.

“We are building and opening every additional bed possible, in line with our pledge to open 550 more beds across the system.

“This year alone we will open 150 new beds across our hospitals, followed by another 130 next year. That’s the equivalent of opening a brand-new Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and will create much-needed extra inpatient capacity.”

The March ramping figure is well over double the 1522 hours lost in February 2022, the month before the last state election where Labor pledge to “fix” ramping.

The demand saw a snap decision to cancel non-urgent elective surgery last week and comes as influenza cases surge.

The flu vaccine is free this year for 600,000 at-risk South Australians including children under five, adults over 65, pregnant women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander South Australians and people with pre-existing health conditions.