Ambulance Ramping

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:40): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding health.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: Today, I met Mel, who gathered on the steps of parliament while a petition of 44,000 handwritten signatures was handed over. Mel and her brother Jason were ambulance volunteers for 10 years. One night in 2019, Jason went into cardiac arrest at the family home in Goolwa. Mel's parents had to perform CPR on their son for 25 minutes before paramedics could arrive on the scene, which was too late to save Jason's life. That evening, the Goolwa and Victor Harbor ambulances were ramped in Adelaide. I have two questions for the minister:

1. What does the minister say to Mel, who is an ambulance volunteer for more than 10 years, who has attended Parliament House today and whose brother died of cardiac arrest while waiting for an ambulance?

2. What steps has the minister taken since the budget to reduce the over 500 per cent increase in ambulance waiting times?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:41): The government and the Ambulance Service certainly regret delayed care and delays in transfer of care and the impact that it has on patients. In relation to the case the honourable member refers to, I was aware of that case some time ago, but I don't have the details with me currently. But as I said, to that family and to all Australian families, the Ambulance Service strives to deliver a world-class, quality service, and they do so consistently.

From time to time, we don't meet our own goals, if you like, but I would remind honourable members that the Ambulance Service continues to have very high customer satisfaction, usually between 80 per cent and 90 per cent. We are certainly working with the Ambulance Service to ensure not only they have the resources they need to deliver care in a timely way but also that the health system as a whole works with them in their quest.

In that regard, the honourable member asks me to highlight some of the recent initiatives the government has been taking to improve the quality of care for people who are using the Ambulance Service. I have already mentioned one, which is the Complex and RestorativE project at the Repat, which involves six treatment bays. It involves access to radiology, heavily supported by the Ambulance Service and also engaging conferencing resources to engage clinicians with people in the community.

I also mentioned the mental health co-responders project, but I think I was cut short by opposition interjections, so let me remind honourable members that the mental health co-responders program is yet again another example of a partnership, a partnership where the Ambulance Service works with mental health clinicians to respond to people with mental health challenges in the community, again demonstrating the versatility and professionalism of the Ambulance Service.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The opposition will remain silent and give the minister the opportunity to answer the question that's been asked by one of your team.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Let me give you a third example of where the Ambulance Service is providing support for—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —innovative responses to the needs of South Australians needing urgent care, and that is in the clinical telephone assessment service where a person who contacts 000 receives a rapid secondary clinical review over the phone by a registered paramedic.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: All of these initiatives are part of the government responding to the needs of the South Australian community—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —and doing so in partnership with an Ambulance Service which is rich with people with extraordinarily versatile skills and a very strong commitment to delivering top quality health care to South Australians.