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<\/p>\nSouth Australia’s public health system has “deteriorated” under the current government, according to an independent review released on the same day that ambulance ramping was revealed to have hit a record high.<\/p>\n
The review of SA Health found that ramping was “chronic” between 2022 and 2026 \u2014 a period overlapping with the first term of the Malinauskas government, which had promised to “fix the ramping crisis”.<\/p>\n
The tabling of the review in parliament came hours after the latest ramping stats revealed patients were stuck outside public hospitals for a record 5,891 hours in August.<\/p>\n
Conducted by the SA Health Performance Council, the review found that in 2024-25, less than half of metropolitan patients were transferred from the care of paramedics to emergency department staff within 30 minutes of ambulance arrival, down from more than 92 per cent in 2014-15.<\/p>\n
“It is unreasonable to think that ambulance ramping is something that can ever be ‘fixed’,” the council stated in its report.<\/p>\n
“Rather, we believe it is more reasonable to recommend system targets that meet community expectations, while being safe and sustainable.<\/p>\n
“We believe that ambulance ramping would be, if not ‘fixed’, at least ‘under control’ if it reduced to a pre-COVID level of under 2,000 total monthly hours.”<\/p>\n
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Ahead of the 2022 South Australian state election, Labor put up posters with a message identical to this one. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
The council said that, “in too many areas \u2026 the performance of South Australia’s public health system has deteriorated over recent years”.<\/p>\n
In a statement addressed to Health Minister Blair Boyer, the council’s chair Professor Stephen Duckett wrote that SA Health’s culture needed to change from “micromanaging and siloed, to strategic, connected and being held to account”.<\/p>\n
“Our findings indicate a lack of system-wide planning, mis-alignment between priorities and performance measures, and local health networks missing their targets,” he wrote.<\/p>\n
“The buck stops with you, as Minister, for accountability to Parliament and the public for performance, governance, and the stewardship of public funds.”<\/p>\n
In its response to the review, also tabled in state parliament this afternoon, the SA government wrote there was “no doubt the public health system is under more pressure than ever”.<\/p>\n
“Presentations at emergency departments have increased by more than 50 per cent over the past decade, with the growth between 2022 and 2025 alone at almost 12 per cent,” the government wrote.<\/p>\n
“This has added enormous pressure to our public hospitals.”<\/p>\n
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Health Minister Blair Boyer says ramping is being exacerbated by a shortage of aged care beds. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)<\/p>\n
The government stated that “while there is still much more to do”, ambulance response times had “significantly improved” over the past four years and it had recorded “high levels of patient satisfaction”.<\/p>\n
“Significant progress has already been made in expanding capacity, improving patient flow, strengthening workforce capability and enhancing access to care,” it stated.<\/p>\n
‘Not getting anywhere close’<\/p>\n
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