The South Australian ambulance union has warned of a lack of ramping resilience as the region prepares for an expected peak in flu cases.
This warning comes as the healthcare system faces increased pressure, where insufficient capacity to transfer patients into hospitals can leave ambulances unavailable for other emergencies.
According to the union, approximately 80 patients were left waiting for an ambulance when demand peaked on Wednesday, Aug. 19 [1]. This surge in demand highlights the current vulnerability of the emergency response system in South Australia [1], [2].
Paramedics are calling for greater investment to improve ramping capacity before the flu season reaches its height [1]. The union said the current level of resilience is insufficient to handle the projected increase in patient volume [2].
Flu peaks typically result in a higher volume of respiratory distress calls and emergency admissions. When hospitals cannot accept patients quickly, ambulances remain stationary at emergency department entrances, a process known as ramping, which reduces the number of vehicles available for the rest of the community [1].
The union said the situation on Wednesday serves as a precursor to the challenges the state may face in the coming weeks [1], [2].
“Approximately 80 patients were left waiting for an ambulance when demand peaked.”
Ramping creates a bottleneck in emergency medicine that extends beyond hospital walls. When ambulance crews are stuck waiting to hand over patients, it creates a systemic shortage of available first responders, potentially increasing response times for life-threatening calls during high-demand periods like the winter flu season.
