Fiona Stanley Hospital announce internal emergency as ramping hits new all-time record, worse than COVID

As ambulance ramping reached a record new high, WA biggest hospital declared an internal emergency on Friday with staff ordered to urgently discharge patients to free up beds. Ramping reached a record of 7009 hours in July, more than the previous peak (6972 hours)set at the height of the COVID pandemic in 2022. The crisis point was reached as The West Australian was told a code yellow was declared at Fiona Stanley Hospital on Friday morning, with staff instructed to “please prioritise discharges and transfers to transit lounge”. The code yellow alert reported 105 patients were in ED with 52 “bed slips” that required admission and no spare beds. Health Minister Meredith Hammat called it an “urgent and important problem”, but rejected claims the Cook Government has been too slow to act. In a press conference on Friday, Ms Hammat said: “We are attacking this from every angle.” She repeated that same phrase 20 times. “We’re making sure that we’re implementing initiatives, not just at the point of admission but right through a patient’s journey, from the moment they first think they need an ambulance, right through to how they might access aged care if they’re an older Western Australian,” she said. “We need to look at all the ways we can make a difference and that’s what we’re doing.” Ms Hammat said the Government had added 900 beds since 2021, boosted staff numbers by 30 per cent, increased virtual ED care and opened a State Health Operations Centre to better control patient flow. “The things we are putting in place are beginning to work and we need more time to see them have an impact,” she said. Asked whether more should have been done, sooner, Ms Hammat — who became Health Minister in March — said every option was being considered. “We know that these are really disappointing figures,” she said. “We understand the urgency and the importance of this. “We have had a number of initiatives and we’re continuing to do more initiatives.” Jonathan Leach drove to Perth from Busselton for scheduled surgery to reduce chronic back pain at SCGH on Thursday, when he was told to go home. “Influenza, no beds basically,” he told ABC Radio. “This is the second procedure I’ve had cancelled this year.” Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas accused the Government of making excuses and said its plan to fix the health system has, so far, failed. “This is people’s lives we’re talking about. This is mums, this is kids, this is family members who have to wait,” he said. “It’s unacceptable to be prioritizing racetracks, movie studios, rugby teams, public holidays. They don’t matter to people in Western Australia anywhere near as much as their health.” Mr Zempilas urged the Government to hold an emergency roundtable. “I would get the health experts together and say what do you need to fix this? Get the right people in the room, ask them what they need, and then throw everything at it,” he said. In a letter sent to the Premier and Ministers, the Ambulance Employees Association of WA warned about a “continual failing” of ambulance response times. “There is no evidence to support ‘winter surge’ as a factor in response times not being met,” AEAWA president John Thomas wrote. “In the 30-month period triple time has been activated 69 times to supplement inadequate operational resourcing.” In a statement on Friday, the State’s health boss said this winter was “particularly severe”. “Ambulance ramping is one of the most visible challenges facing our health system, and those around the nation, and we take it very seriously,” WA Health Director-General Shirley Bowen said. “There is no one ‘cause’, there are many factors which contribute to demand, including high levels of winter respiratory illness and issues such as road trauma, mental health and drug-related presentations.” Dr Bowen said the State’s ageing population was another major factor. On Thursday she told The West the old way was “not coping” with an influx of older, more complicated, patients and that a “new model of care” will take time. Geriatricians are being deployed to assist emergency departments and Labor has promised to establish three ‘older adult hubs’ to help keep seniors out of hospital. “We will hopefully get the first one online by December,” Dr Bowen said. Virtual care from nurses, instead of doctors, is also being ramped up. “We’re commencing that work in a couple of weeks to hopefully improve access,” Dr Bowen said. “I won’t have that fully done for next winter, but hopefully over the two to three years it will take us to completely reform that. “It’s very important that we try and change the model of care.” The Australian Medical Association called for urgent efforts to radically increase hospital capacity. The State Budget included a $3.2 billion spend on health infrastructure, including funding to begin planning for expansions of emergency departments at Royal Perth Hospital and Midland - but no date for construction. “We say a lot that ramping is bad, the hospital system is under pressure,” AMA WA president Kyle Hoath said. “This is what happens when we aren’t adequately resources and we’re in the midst of a horror flu season and that will impact our hospitals and waiting times, ramping and then it happens, and we’re not surprised. “I don’t believe we have that plan in place now to a level that would keep me happy. I do actually have confidence that (the Government) are prepared to do the work for that plan. I’m hearing the right things. . . it needs to be followed up.” Dr Bowen said the political will is there, but the solution will take time. “From the Premier to Treasurer to everyone, they have listened and we’re working with them to consider options to make it better for next year,” she said. “We’re building capacity and I think next winter will be better. I would hope, because the flu season shouldn’t be as bad. “I would think it’s about two years before we should get this under control. I live in hope.”