Two more people died after ambulance delays, including one aged in their 20s: union

Two more patients died waiting for delayed ambulances overnight, the union claims. One patient was aged in their 20s.

Two more people died waiting for delayed ambulances overnight including one person aged in their 20s, the state’s ambulance union says.

The Ambulance Employees Association of SA put out a tweet on Tuesday morning which claimed “tragic news” happened in Adelaide overnight.

“An elderly patient passed away after waiting 56 minutes (for an ambulance),” it said.

“A patient in their 20s tragically passed away, it took 45 minutes to arrive.”

The union said the ambulances should have taken 16 minutes to arrive and assist the patients.

SA Ambulance Service was contacted for comment over the claims.

It comes a week after SAAS launched an investigation and acknowledged the distress caused when it “fails to meet community expectations” after the paramedics’ union claimed ambulance delays cost two patients their lives on March 7.

The Ambulance Employees Association said a patient in cardiac arrest, assessed as a “priority one” case, waited 14 minutes for an ambulance.

A second patient, who had been assessed as a “priority two” case, waited 35 minutes for an ambulance but went into cardiac arrest before help arrived.

The medically-appropriate response time for priority one cases is up to eight minutes, while up to 16 minutes is acceptable for priority two cases.

The Ambulance Employees Association posted video of ambulances ramped at the Flinders Medical Centre on Monday. Picture: Supplied

“Both were unable to be resuscitated. In an emergency, minutes count,” the association wrote on Facebook.

“These patients and their families deserved better. They deserved an ambulance in their time of need. They deserved a chance.”

SAAS confirmed an internal review into each death was underway. In a statement, a spokeswoman offered “sincere condolences to the loved ones of both patients during this extremely upsetting time”.

“While many factors influence SAAS’s response to a patient, we continue to implement measures where possible to enhance patient care and improve our response times,” she said.

“Our ambulance crews have a difficult and tremendously important job. It is undoubtedly distressing for everyone involved when a patient outcome is not positive and when SAAS fails to meet community expectations.”

Premier Steven Marshall said he spoke to SAAS on Tuesday morning, and acknowledged “what we know is that we need to end ramping in South Australia.”

“We’re going to obviously investigate this incident but our goal is to end ramping,” he said.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said the hospital system was in crisis to the extent that people were losing their lives as a result of ambulance delays.

“When South Australians are calling triple-0 on behalf of a loved one or themselves while they’re undergoing a cardiac arrest, it is not acceptable to have a situation where the ambulance is rolling up consistently late,” he said.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said the ramping situation was unacceptable. Picture Emma Brasier

“I make no apologies whatsoever for making sure that health is a front and centre issue at this election and only I and my team have a policy to do something about it.”

It came after the union posted a video on ambulances ramped at Flinders Medical Centre on Monday.

“Twelve life-threatening emergencies left uncovered in the community with no ambulances available to send,” the union said.

Originally published as Two more people died after ambulance delays, including one aged in their 20s: union