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Ramping to be focus of parliamentary inquiry

Ambulance ramping in South Australia will be the subject of a parliamentary inquiry after a petition of more than 44,000 signatures calling for more ambulance resourcing was presented to parliament.

Dec 06, 2021, updated Dec 06, 2021
A paramedic protests ramping under the Marshall Government. Photo: supplied

A paramedic protests ramping under the Marshall Government. Photo: supplied

The Legislative Review Committee will examine the petition’s request to “provide a long-term sustainable funding stream that provides the resource capacity needed to respond to the escalating demand for ambulance services” and “eradicate the practice of ramping at South Australian hospitals through whatever means necessary, including additional funding”.

It comes as ambulance ramping continues to hit the health system, including last month at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, although the ramping statistics for October and November period are yet to be released.

Labor highlighted the most recent statistics which show ambulances have spent more than 21,000 hours ramped so far this year.

Labor Legislative Review Committee member Zoe Bettison said the committee hoped to hear personal stories about the issue.

“Behind these shocking ramping statistics are real stories of real people suffering medical emergencies and forced to wait outside a hospital or left waiting for an ambulance to arrive,” she said.

“The Legislative Review Committee wants to hear from patients, their families and those on the frontline about what is really going on in our ambulance service.”

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