August 21, 2018 Priority patients sidelined as ambulance ramping hits new high Ambulance ramping at Perth hospitals has continued to escalate with patients waiting to access emergency departments for a total of 180.6 hours yesterday, according to Shadow Minister for Health Sean L’Estrange. “Last week we had the Minister for Health Roger Cook defending 168.7 hours of ambulance ramping, the third worst in seven years, this week we’re seeing an even worse situation, with 180.6 hours of ramping,” Mr L’Estrange said. “Patients who arrive at our State’s hospital emergency departments by ambulance are patients in need of priority care and clearly our hospitals are not being resourced sufficiently to provide that care. “By anyone’s definition, hospitals that are unable to take patients arriving by ambulance are hospitals under stress.” Mr L’Estrange said Minister Cook could not continue to blame excessive ambulance ramping and overflowing emergency departments on the flu season. “Minister Cook, flu season happens every year; the fact is that our hospitals’ emergency departments are not being adequately resourced,” Mr L’Estrange said. “In July, this Government took a warning shot across its bow when data revealed that none of our major public hospitals were achieving the nationally agreed target of clearing 90 per cent of patients through an emergency department in under four hours. “That warning shot should have galvanised the Government into action; it did not. “The McGowan Labor Government has made no provision to address these issues in its past two State budgets and has $200 million in cuts to the health budget in the pipeline. “The public needs the McGowan Government to stop playing the blame game and look for viable solutions to the increasing demand being placed on our public hospitals.” Ends |
