Fixing ambulance ramping crisis ‘still significant’ on ‘one-year anniversary of Labor’s election win, Susan Close says

One of Labor’s key election vows was to fix ambulance ramping – a year after winning government, it says the question of progress is “impossible to answer”

The task of fixing the state’s ramping crisis is “still significant ahead of us” as the Labor government marks the first anniversary of its landslide election win, the Acting Premier says.

But Susan Close said about half of all election commitments have now been delivered, including the return of the Adelaide 500, establishment of the $40m Major Events Fund and doubling of the cost-of-living concession.

Dr Close said the government’s commitment to pump extra resources into the health system was also well underway, with more beds funded and additional nurses, doctors and paramedics recruited.

Asked whether she was satisfied with progress on Labor’s promise to fix the ramping crisis, Dr Close said it was “an impossible question to answer”.

Acting Premier Susan Close says half of the Labor government’s election commitments have now been delivered. Picture: Ben Clark

“We want to see the way that health works improve, and we’ve seen some improvements in the response times for priority one and priority two cases in ambulances,” she said.

“But, at the same time, every individual person who is involved in the health system deserves the absolute best experience.

“Rather than putting the label of satisfied/unsatisfied, I’d say we see the task is still significant ahead of us.”

Ramping peaked in June last year, when ambulances spent 3840 hours ramped — but the figure had dropped to 3040 by last month, according to SA Health data.

In March last year, the month Labor won government, ambulances spent about 2710 hours ramped.

Other commitments yet to be delivered include the Hydrogen Jobs Plan and beginning the rollout of universal preschool for three-year-olds.

The government had indicated those pledges would take longer to fulfil.

Dr Close said the government’s progress so far should not be surprising to South Australians, who she said should be able to expect that politicians keep their word.

“But we’re drawing it to people’s attention because there’s a degree of cynicism around politics now,” she said.

“And we want people to know that the commitments we made, we are delivering on — and already half in the first year of government.”

Originally published as Fixing ambulance ramping crisis ‘still significant’ on ‘one-year anniversary of Labor’s election win, Susan Close says