The South Australian government has announced that SA Health and the SA Ambulance Service are fully cooperating with a coronial investigation following the death of a patient in a residential aged care home. The incident occurred during the same month when South Australia experienced its highest recorded rates of ramping, with public hospital patients spending a total of 5,539 hours waiting in ambulances.
According to the Ambulance Employees Association (AEA) general secretary Leah Watkins, there was a confirmed delay in sending an ambulance to the patient, who was initially triaged as a priority 3 case. Despite being upgraded to priority 2 and later to priority 1, the patient passed away before the ambulance crew arrived, prompting concerns about the emergency response system in place. Watkins expressed her condolences to the family of the deceased, emphasizing the tragic nature of the event and stating that such delays are not what people anticipate when contacting emergency services.
The SA Ambulance Service acknowledged the delay in attending to the patient and has taken the necessary steps to refer the case to the coroner for further investigation. The impact of ramping on ambulance response times has been highlighted as a significant concern, with reports indicating that crews have faced challenges such as prolonged waiting times and a shortage of available ambulances for emergency cases. SA Deputy Premier Susan Close and Health Minister Chris Picton have expressed their distress over the patient's death and have recognized the ongoing investments needed to enhance ambulance response times and the overall efficiency of the healthcare system.