WA’s top medical body has raised concerns about the ability of St. John’s Ambulance to meet demand to live up to what is expected to be a severe flu season.
Key points:
- St John Ambulance said it would resume normal operations on Saturday morning after warning of delays on Friday
- The AMA says the ambulance ramp will get worse during the flu season
- Mark McGowan denied that the health care system was inadequate
On Friday, St John issued a social media alert warning Perth residents that they could expect delays in response times if they called triple-0 for an ambulance.
He attributed the delays to “extremely high” demand, staffing problems and the constant problem of ambulances. Approximately 22% of its metropolitan fleet increased at that time.
At 7 a.m. Saturday morning, St John’s chief of operations, Antony Smithson, said normal operations were resuming.
“Well done to everyone, to our amazing team at the State Operations Center, to our people on the road and to those behind the scenes,” he said in a statement.
“We hope it will remain busy for St. John as we respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
St John Ambulance said on Friday that 22% of its Perth metropolitan fleet had increased. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
AMA says the ramp will get worse in the short term
But the president of the Australian Medical Association (WADA) WA, Mark Duncan-Smith, warned that the strain caused by COVID-19 would soon be exacerbated by the flu.
After two years of unusually few flu infections due to social distancing and the use of masks, the impending season is expected to be especially acute.
“We’re seeing in the eastern states that flu numbers are about twice what was expected, and it’s also serious,” Dr. Duncan-Smith said.
“This, due to COVID, will make matters worse.”
Mark Duncan-Smith says the ambulance ramp will get worse before it gets better as the flu season begins. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Dr. Duncan-Smith blamed the ambulance crisis on the state government’s “chronic underinvestment” in the health care system.
“With the perfect storm of chronic ramps due to the McGowan government over the past five years, COVID and permits, the increase in protocols in emergency departments that create inefficiency and the flu season, unfortunately we will see that the ramp it gets worse before it gets better, “he said.
“It is very difficult for the ambulance service to respond to emergency calls when one-fifth of its fleet is parked outside hospitals.”
Opposition health spokeswoman Libby Mettam echoed WADA’s concerns, saying the health care system was underfunded and life-threatening.
“These St. John’s alerts point to a hospital system that is under tremendous pressure, with one in five ambulances on the ramp. [on Friday] and the worst winter start in history, “he said.
“By not addressing the growing crisis, the McGowan government is failing WA patients, healthcare workers and putting St John Ambulance under unprecedented pressure.”
Libby Mettam says the ambulance crisis is endangering lives. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Staff shortage creates “difficult situation”
Prime Minister Mark McGowan has denied that the state’s health care system is inadequate.
“I just urge the WADA to be positive and acknowledge that we are investing more per capita than any other state in Australia in our healthcare system, and we are adding an additional 530 beds to the system,” he said.
Mark McGowan attended a mall opening on Saturday where he told the media that the government was doing its best to support St John Ambulance. (ABC News: Nicolas Perpitch)
McGowan said the government was doing everything possible to help St John, including the use of career firefighters to support paramedics.
“We have additional staff working with St Johns, particularly firefighters, to drive ambulances,” he said.
“It has been a very, very demanding period, but I understand that they are doing their best in the circumstances.
“Obviously we want to see the situation improve, but even though we have so many sick staff with illness, it’s a difficult situation that we’re dealing with.”