Ambulance ramping on the rise as doctors demand more from major parties during federal election

Ambulance ramping is on the rise and doctors are demanding that both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton prioritise key funding with the states to help hospitals in crisis.

Ambulances are spending more time parked outside emergency departments in every state and territory in Australia than they were five years ago, a shocking new report has revealed.

The report from the Australian Medical Association found that in the 2023-24 financial year more than 78 per cent of patients were transferred within 30 minutes from an ambulance to the emergency department — a steady decline from 2018-19 when the state met the target of 90 per cent of cases being transferred within 30

In Victoria, there was an almost 13 per cent decline in the number of patients being transferred from an ambulance to the hospital on time between 2019 and 2024.

That figure jumps to a 17.6 per cent decline in Queensland in the same five-year period.

In South Australia there was an improvement in the 2023-2024 financial year but an overall 16.5 per cent decline since five years ago.

Doctors are ramping up their demands ahead of the federal election, using the new data to demand more federal cash for state hospitals.

Some of the 11 ambulances ramped at Geelong Hospital just before 1pm. Picture: Alison Wynd

“Emergency departments have difficulty getting patients admitted into hospital for many reasons, including under-resourcing, and a lack of beds due to exit block,” AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said.

“Our amazing hospital and ambulance staff are doing the best they can to get people the care they need, but they desperately need more resourcing, more space, more beds and a system that works.

“In some states, the total hours ramped has more than doubled in the past five years. The human and financial costs of this blowout cannot be ignored.”

Doctors are demanding that both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton prioritise a five-year hospital funding agreement with the states to ensure hospitals have certainty about their funding.

Mr Albanese signed a shorter term funding agreement last last year.

“Our hospitals have been struggling since before the COVID-19 pandemic. While the federal government recently locked in some welcome additional funding for public hospitals, whoever wins government must expedite a new National Health Reform Agreement.“

Originally published as Ambulance ramping on the rise as doctors demand more from major parties during federal election