Western Australia (WA) is in an ambulance service emergency. Last month, ambulances waited more than 7,000 hours outside emergency departments. This stunning number equates to an average of 225 hours per day. It beats the old record set in August 2022, when ramping hours almost reached 6,950. Senior medical practitioners are raising the alarm about the underlying reasons for this epidemic. They are calling bullshit on the government’s claim that it’s all the fault of a bad flu season.
Dr. Peter Allely, a senior medical expert in WA, stated that the issue of ambulance ramping extends beyond seasonal illnesses. He pointed out that ramp hours have increased by an astounding 878% over the past nine years. They jumped from only 1,000 hours to a new all-time high! This incredibly concerning pattern, coupled with low patient flow capacity already, begs the question of how our healthcare system will handle patient flows.
Insights from Medical Professionals
As Dr. Allely reminded us, there are systemic failures that have brought us to this point. He emphasized that the healthcare framework lacks adequate surge capacity to handle fluctuations in patient demand, stating, “So we’ve built a system that just has no surge capacity and can’t cope with the natural fluctuations in disease patterns that there always will be.”
Dr. Allely added that the government’s desire to point to seasonal flu as the driving force behind these backlogs is misguided. He argued that what’s driving the increase in ramping hours is really much more complicated. Five years is a long time to fix this problem. In that time ambulance ramping has increased from 1,000 hours to 7,000 hours,” he said, highlighting the need for urgent long-term solutions.
While testifying in March, P1 Ventures Dr. Kyle Hoath echoed the need for creative solutions to tackle the crisis. He suggested looking at buy-in opportunities for the federal government. This would enable them to build and run their own aged care homes, taking pressure off emergency services. Could the government build and operate its own model aged care facility?” he questioned. What would that enable them to do to gain more control over the process?
Government’s Response and Initiatives
The WA government is right to be concerned about the quickly growing issue of ambulance ramping. They have been proactive with ways to reduce the burden on emergency departments. In partnership with the state’s health care authority, we have set up a WA virtual emergency department. In addition, we established a systemwide coordination hub for ambulances statewide.
Meredith Hammat, a member of the state’s collaborative government, supported these efforts by insisting, “We are hitting this on all fronts. She touted that the government has brought on more than 900 new beds to the hospital system since 2021. On top of that, they’ve built an aggressive staffing boost of 30 percent. “We’re looking at all the ways that we can make a difference throughout a whole patient’s journey through the system,” she added, indicating a commitment to improving patient care from the moment they require an ambulance until their discharge.
In spite of these new steps, advocates and experts say it’s still not enough. Dr. Hoath pointed out that there are available beds in private hospitals and medi-hotels that could be utilized more effectively to ease pressures on public facilities: “We know that every hospital bed in the private sector, that every new medi-hotel that’s being built, are not full.”
Political Reactions and Calls for Action
The ongoing situation has elicited harsh condemnation from political leaders across the spectrum. Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas has urged Premier Roger Cook to prioritize addressing ambulance ramping, emphasizing the critical nature of the issue for public health. He stated this was dangerous when the government is ignoring the rapid increase in demand on healthcare infrastructure.
The perpetual issues of ambulance ramping have opened up a larger conversation regarding the appropriateness of WA’s hospital and healthcare funding and resources. As experts continue to advocate for systemic change, it remains uncertain how quickly effective solutions can be implemented to mitigate this pressing issue.
