Clinical review launched to probe allegations hospital ED staff are being urged to prioritise patients in ambulances

clinical review launched to probe allegations hospital ed staff are being urged to prioritise patients in ambulances

Chris Picton has appointed Bill Griggs and Keith McNeill to lead the review. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)

The SA government has launched a clinical review into allegations Adelaide emergency department staff are being forced to prioritise patients in ambulances over those in waiting rooms because of ramping.

Royal Adelaide Hospital doctor and SA Salaried Medical Officers Association president, David Pope, said hospital managers have demanded staff unload ambulances when there are sicker people inside.

“The hospital managers ring the staff in the emergency department essentially demanding that ambulances be unloaded when we’ve got sicker people arriving in the waiting room,” Mr Pope said.

“What we’re seeing is enormous pressure on clinicians to unload ambulances and bring them into very limited spaces in our emergency departments over and above those in the waiting room who are often sicker.

“We’ve people who’ve waited extraordinarily long hours in the waiting room, only to die later on, so that’s deeply concerning that is something that we all strive to avoid when there’s a treatable cause that can prevent death.”

Health Minister Chris Picton said senior clinicians Bill Griggs and Keith McNeill will probe the “concerning” claims made by Mr Pope.

“I have asked for a review to be done of these allegations by two eminent clinical experts to make sure that we can get the full evidence and the full answers in regards to the allegations that have been made,” Mr Picton said.

Mr Picton said SA Health policy states that hospital staff are required to treat patients of the same priority waiting in an ambulances first, so paramedics can be freed.

“If they’re both category four for example, then we should bring in the ambulance patient of those equal cases first because the ambulance has another important job to do which is to go and respond to cases in the community,” he said.

“I’m very concerned to hear allegations being made that there’s somehow interference in that process when there’s a very clear policy that has been made.”

Opposition health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn said the government needed to give South Australians an assurance that the review will be independent and conducted at arm’s-length from government.

“The gravity of these allegations are so extraordinary, this is a scandal that is one of the worst in our state’s history,” she said.

“The allegations that people have died in a desperate attempt to make the government’s ramping numbers look good is absolutely scandalous and one that we need desperate answers for.”

Ramping – in which ambulances park at hospitals waiting for emergency beds to become available – hit a new record in South Australia yesterday.

Figures released show the equivalent of 178 days were lost to ramping in the month of November and that South Australia has experienced an almost five-fold increase in just over six years.

OTHER NEWS

14 minutes ago

Millions of Aussies to be slugged more to catch public transport in NSW - here's how much extra you'll be paying

14 minutes ago

2025 Volkswagen Golf R: Hot hatch gets hotter

14 minutes ago

‘Possible war’ looming in Pacific: Former Home Affairs secretary

14 minutes ago

Tamayo Perry's eerie post about shark-infested waters is revealed

14 minutes ago

States fail to track abuses in foster care facilities housing thousands of children, report says

14 minutes ago

Mark Cavendish ready to take aim at history on final Tour de France farewell

14 minutes ago

The definitive recipe for BBQ jerk chicken

14 minutes ago

How to BBQ fish: Trout, asparagus and orange skewers with mint garlic oil

14 minutes ago

How millennials became the least cool generation

17 minutes ago

‘Kaizer Chiefs don’t have a thinker like Zungu’ Pirates legend

17 minutes ago

Julian Assange is flying back to Australia a free man. Here’s what we know about his US plea deal

17 minutes ago

David Armstrong backflips on Knights, set to leave club

22 minutes ago

U.S. ambassador accuses China of undermining bilateral ties, Wall Street Journal reports

22 minutes ago

NCAA council votes to remove cannabis from banned drug list, removes limits on on-field coaches

24 minutes ago

Video: Married police chief makes stunning claim about his glamorous wife before suddenly resigning over affair with a fellow officer's wife

24 minutes ago

Video: Julian Assange breaks down in tears as judge on US-controlled island declares him 'a free man' and sentences him to time served for espionage: WikiLeaks founder released without supervision for the first time in 14 years

24 minutes ago

Video: Australian business owner smugly admits to only ever visiting a Western Sydney suburb ONCE before opening a store there

24 minutes ago

What Labor MPs REALLY think about nuclear power in Australia - but are too afraid to say in public

24 minutes ago

4 men charged with cheating, money laundering after victims lost $1.6m in investment fraud

24 minutes ago

RTA completes major traffic enhancements on 3 key streets in Al Mankhool

24 minutes ago

BRICS’ mission to dethrone US dollar fails to succeed

24 minutes ago

Cabinet approves next step in plan to use River Shannon to boost country's water supply

24 minutes ago

Austria uses late goal to stun Dutch, claim Group D ahead of France

24 minutes ago

Brown strong again, McCormick has 2 RBIs as Astros extend streak to 6 with 5-2 win over Rockies

24 minutes ago

Reynolds extends hit streak to 22 games with a 2-run homer and Pirates beat Reds 9-5

27 minutes ago

US journalist's closed trial for espionage set to begin in Russia, with a conviction all but certain

27 minutes ago

A Palestinian was shot, beaten and tied to an Israeli army jeep. The army says he posed no threat

28 minutes ago

European markets head for positive open as global chip stocks stabilize

29 minutes ago

‘Bicycle Bandit’ bank robber Kym Parsons dies after voluntary assisted dying

29 minutes ago

'I'm a colour analysis expert and finding out your "season" will completely change how you shop.'

29 minutes ago

How much microplastics are inside humans? New film unveils a figure

29 minutes ago

BIS introduces new standards to enhance safety and quality of e-vehicles

29 minutes ago

Huge sadness at death of Wexford mum of three who ‘was a bundle of positive energy’

29 minutes ago

Hamdok warns more people could die from 'starvation than bullets' in Sudan

29 minutes ago

Royal Mail launches probe as postie 'seen scrawling 'racists'' on Reform leaflets

32 minutes ago

Question time is under way in parliament with a welcome to a key leader

36 minutes ago

NBC Select Travel Awards: The best accessories of 2024

36 minutes ago

Predators, Red Wings swap junior-age players

36 minutes ago

Nvidia shares rebound after steep sell-off

36 minutes ago

Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. says he could be out until after the All-Star Game with leg injury