Health workers’ threat as beds crisis worsens in SA hospitals

South Australian healthcare workers have threatened industrial action unless chronic overcrowding in hospitals is fixed.

South Australian Health Minister Stephen Wade. Picture: AAP

The new $2.4 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital is inefficient and clogging South Australia’s public hospital system, which is in virtual gridlock because of chronic overcrowding, the state’s Health Minister says.

Major unions representing doctors, nurses and ambulance officers in South Australian public hospitals yesterday united to increase pressure on the state’s Liberal government, which took office in March, to end overcrowding in public hospitals, particularly emergency departments.

Ambulance officers will consider not processing bills for transport and nurses may limit elective surgery from Monday if the government does not act by tomorrow to provide more beds.

Hospital doctors will support the industrial action and wage their own campaign.

The three key health unions want 50 beds opened at the ­Repatriation Hospital, closed by the former Labor government, to take sub-acute patients as a first step to ease pressure.

Health Minister Stephen Wade yesterday acknowledged major metropolitan hospitals had in recent weeks experienced “high demand”, but he blamed the poorly designed and inefficient new Royal Adelaide Hospital — once ranked the third most expensive building in the world — for clogging the system since its opening a year ago.

“(It) is just not functioning ­effectively,” he said.

Mr Wade said that in addition to 30 extra beds in country hospitals already announced, 20 private hospital beds would be made available to “help ease pressure on the system” from Monday.

He said the measures were part of the government’s winter demand strategy.

The 20 extra beds will be in Flinders Private Hospital and the Calvary Health Care network.

Mr Wade warned the nurses’ union not to lecture the new Liberal government given the union’s support for the previous Labor administration’s Transforming Health policy that saw beds closed.

In recent days, up to 30 ambulances have been queued for hours outside emergency departments, unable to offload patients.