SA health system 'deteriorated' under current government, review finds

An independent review has found South Australia's public health system has "deteriorated" under the current government, with ambulance ramping hitting a record high of 5,891 hours in August. The SA Health Performance Council's report, tabled in parliament, found less than half of metropolitan patients were transferred within 30 minutes in 2024-25, down from over 92 per cent in 2014-15. It called for a cultural shift from "micromanaging" to "strategic" leadership, with the minister accountable. The government acknowledged pressure, citing a 50 per cent rise in emergency presentations over a decade, and blamed aged care bed shortages. The ambulance union rejected "excuses," noting ramping was just 328 hours in 2017.