Ramping rose for the fifth month straight in March, with patients having spent around 15 years ramped under Labor

Grim figures show ramping is getting worse, not better, as a new trend takes shape over the new year.

Ramping rose to 4134 hours in March, the fifth month in a row it has risen, with the Opposition saying patients and paramedics now have spent around 15 years in total ramped under Labor.

Ominously Priority 1 and Priority 2 response times both dipped in March compared to February.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn said it was one of the worst results delivered under the Labor government, despite promising they would “fix” ramping.

Instead, she said Labor has now delivered 34 of the worst months of ramping in South Australia’s history, with a total of having patients and paramedics spending more than 133,000 hours stuck outside hospitals on the ramp since Labor was elected.

“The system is under critical pressure and the government just keeps making excuses,” Mrs Hurn said. “People are getting stuck on a ramp for hours on end outside of our public hospitals, the same people who were told by Peter Malinauskas to vote Labor like your life depends on it.

“This is a dire situation for patients and healthcare workers and it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse.”

Health Minister Chris Picton blamed the federal government for part of the problem, as there are now 263 patients stuck in metro hospitals ready for discharge but awaiting a federal aged care placement.

A $498m redevelopment, jointly funded by the state and federal governments will see 160 extra beds delivered across Flinders Medical Centre and the Repat, including expansion of the Margaret Tobin Centre for mental health patients.

“More beds, including for mental health patients, will help free up space in our hospitals and reduce bed-block,” Mr Picton said.

Originally published as Ramping rose for the fifth month straight in March, with patients having spent around 15 years ramped under Labor