South Australia’s ambulance budget will blow out almost $50m this year, official figures show

South Australia’s $400m ambulance budget will blow out almost $50m this year, with a forecast “overspend” of at least $24.8m.

South Australia’s ambulance budget will blow out almost $50m this year, official figures show.

The SA Ambulance Service has forecast an “overspend” of at least $24.8m during the current financial year.

This has been compounded with a projected billing revenue cut of $15.4m.

The service is also budgeting $5m in bad debts from patient bills, according to its corporate services executive director, Robert Cox.

While he gave no reasons for the bad debt figure, at least $2m is due to the freezing of ambulance invoices during last year’s state election.

The total blowout is at least $45.2m from a $400m budget.

The SA Ambulance Service has forecast an “overspend” of at least $24.8m. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Officials said increased costs were incurred in a range of areas including Covid-19 spending to “protect staff and patients”, staffing country ambulance stations, Royal Flying Doctor Service transfers and other initiatives to “improve patient flow in the system”. Talks are underway with the federal Treasury for some costs incurred during the Covid-19 response to be reimbursed.

A decision will be revealed in the May 9 federal budget.

A fifth of all triple-zero ambulance calls are classified “alternative pathways”.

This could include home hospital patients, priority care centres treatments or those referred to their GP.

The ambulance service receives a taxpayer fee for each patient that is sent to hospital or from those with private health insurance.

“SAAS is budgeted to spend an additional $185m over the next four years, as part of a record investment to increase ambulance capacity,” Mr Cox said. “All of these costs include GST. The budget also accounts for service costs such as fuel, fleet maintenance, uniforms and training.

“(It) has been working hard to schedule an immense amount of activity and is making good progress with workforce boosts, along with the acquisition of land and additional vehicles.”

Ambos union admits tough ‘nut to crack’

The state’s ramping crisis is a “difficult nut to crack”, the ambulance union has admitted.

Ambulance Employees Association general secretary, Leah Watkins, said the union, and its members, were “disappointed” to learn the hours paramedics were forced to wait outside hospitals hit record levels in March.

New SA Health data released this week showed the state recorded its worst ramping month after patients spent almost 4000 hours stuck in ambulances.

The state’s ramping crisis is a “difficult nut to crack”, the ambulance union has admitted. Picture: Ambulance Employees Association

In a statement on Thursday, Ms Watkins said this was “equivalent to 11 ambulances crews ramped each day for their entire shift”.

“This continues to be a difficult nut to crack,” she said.

“Despite significant efforts being made to bring ramping down to a manageable level, there is obviously a need to do even more.

“There’s still a strong commitment from government, SA Health and SA Ambulance Service to explore every possible way to reduce ramping.”

“The AEA, along with other health unions, are continuing to play their part in advocating for measures aimed at building resilience into the system … so the SA community can have confidence that the health system will be there for them in their time of need.”

The union has come under Opposition fire over its response to the crisis since Labor won government last year.

Before the March election it was vocal critic with protests such as chalked ambulances and a misleading “Ash the Ambo” campaign.

But Ms Watkins said “in stark contrast” to the previous Liberal government, Labor “are being open and transparent about the extent of the problems, and are receptive and responsive to constructive suggestions”.

She said Labor was “actively working” with “Ambos (sic) to find durable solutions”.