Ambos union warns of 'damning' lack of ramping resilience ahead of flu peak
Around 80 patients were left waiting for an ambulance in SA when demand peaked on Wednesday, according to the paramedics union which is pushing for greater investment to reduce ramping ahead of an expected rise in flu cases.
The Ambulance Employees Association (AEA) has expressed alarm over South Australia's strained ambulance service amid the flu season, warning that the state is witnessing one of the worst winters on record for ramping. The union reported a staggering 80 patients waiting for ambulances in Adelaide on Wednesday, with many of them considered priority cases.
The South Australian Health Minister, Blair Boyer, revealed that 30% more Triple Zero (000) calls were received than predicted, with the service receiving 90 calls instead of the projected 60 between 11 am and midday on Wednesday. The AEA has called for immediate and sustained investment to meet the growing demand, highlighting a lack of resilience in the system.
The Minister acknowledged staff illness as a contributing factor to reduced capacity. Despite investments already made by the state government, the AEA stressed the urgent need for additional solutions, such as expanding transit wards to offload patients more efficiently. The SA Ambulance Service responded to the situation by deploying an incident management team, but claims there were no adverse consequences associated with the high demand.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
