Ramping victim Michelle Hatt left for hours in the back of an ambulance after a stroke

A mother has told how she suffered a stroke and then waited more than two hours in the back on an ambulance.

Michelle Hatt, 52, said she waited in the back on an ambulance for two and a half hours after having a stroke. Picture: Dean Martin

A mother has told of how she was left waiting two and a half hours in the back of an ambulance after suffering a stroke.

Michelle Hatt, 52, from Andrews Farm said she is still plagued by long-term side effects after being queued behind 40 people at Lyell McEwin Hospital on January 6.

“I’ve still got numbness and tenderness in my left arm and blindness in one of my eyes,” Ms Hatt said.

“I was never told I was a priority at all.”

The cancer survivor, who has previously suffered a stroke, shared her harrowing experience to highlight how the ramping crisis continues to impact ordinary South Australians.

“I passed out and woke up to my partner on the phone to the ambulance – they turned up within 15 minutes,” Ms Hatt said.

“They did an initial assessment, they said I had gone from a stroke to a seizure.

“From there I got taken to hospital.

“There were 40 people in front of me so therefore I had to wait, I was sitting in the back of the ambulance for two and a half hours waiting for somebody to go, ‘OK we can see you’.

“I went into the emergency department, got my admission and obs, and then didn’t see anyone until 9am the next morning.”

Michelle Hatt speaks at Parliament House, accompanied by David Speirs and Ashton Hurn. Picture: Dean Martin

Accompanied by her parents and members of the Opposition at Parliament House on Monday, Ms Hatt fought back tears as she told she was scared she would end up disabled while waiting to be treated.

“As a mother, you worry you’re going to lose your life and leave your children behind,” Ms Hatt said.

“I was very annoyed but being a patient, I don’t have much of a voice.

“It came back to … there were not enough staff for me to go in front.”

Ms Hatt described the situation as “degrading”, after having to seek assistance from her partner to use the bathroom because there were no nurses available.

Opposition Leader David Speirs said Ms Hatt’s experience was indicative of a health system “on it’s knees”.

“Labour came to power with one promise – to fix this,” Mr Speirs said.

“The figures are almost three times worse – ramping should be their central focus and it’s not.

“They talk about events and sport, glossy ads and reels that make Malinauskas look like a messiah – well these people aren’t seeing him as a messiah.”

Liberal health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn said South Australia was falling behind other states in addressing the gap in qualified medical staff.

“We are struggling to find doctors and nurses – we need incentives to attract and retain doctors and nurses.

“We’re being outflanked and outbid in terms of work incentives nationally.”

A spokesperson from SA Health said on Monday afternoon Ms Hatt had waited 66 minutes and not two and a half hours before being admitted to emergency.

“We apologise to Ms Hatt and her family for the delay she experienced at the Lyell McEwin Hospital,” they stated.

“On January 6, the Emergency Department experienced high demand with many very sick people needing care, arriving in person and by ambulance.

“Upon arrival (..), Ms Hatt was triaged as category 3 and had a delay in transfer of care to our ED of 66 minutes.”

The spokesperson said a CT scan conducted at the time did not reveal Ms Hatt was having a stroke and that a stroke “was later identified by a subsequent MRI two days later”.

Originally published as Ramping victim Michelle Hatt left for hours in the back of an ambulance after a stroke