Opposition slams shocking ambulance ramping numbers

It’s been revealed that there were more 52,000 hours of ambulance ramping at Perth hospitals in 2021.
The figures, released by St John Ambulance, are more than double the number of hours ambulances waited to offload passengers outside of hospitals in 2020.
Shadow health minister Libby Mettam said it “illustrates a health system that’s under extraordinary pressure”.
“These figures are by far the worst ever on record,” she said on 6PR Mornings.
“For the month of August … we had seen over 6000 hours [of ramping] for that month alone … which was also the highest month on record.
“So these are damning figures.”
AMA WA President Dr Mark Duncan-Smith told 6PR Mornings reform and funded is urgently needed.
“Demand on the system has been going up, compounding, at 3 to 4 per cent per year,” he said.
“And that divergence of the gap is what represents the inability of the system to deliver service.
“That equates to ramping, cancellations of elective surgery when there’s no COVID, record wait lists for surgery, and unfortunately adverse outcomes in emergency departments.”
Press PLAY to hear more from Libby Mettam below
Press PLAY to hear more from Dr Mark Duncan-Smith below
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