The South Australian Ambulance Service (SAAS) will review the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two patients overnight to determine if response times were a factor, the Health Minister says.
An elderly patient died after waiting 56 minutes for an ambulance while another patient in their 20s waited 45 minutes, the paramedics' union reported this morning.
The the state's Ambulance Employees Association (AEA) said that, in both cases, the response time should have been 16 minutes.
"Tragic news in Adelaide overnight. Two patients passing away, with delayed ambulance responses," the AEA tweeted.
Last week, SAAS launched a separate investigation into the deaths of two men who had been waiting for ambulances.
The AEA is currently locked in an industrial dispute and has, along with Labor, escalated its campaign against the state government in recent weeks.
Ahead of the state election on March 19, the union has repeatedly highlighted cases it claims show the health system is struggling to cope with ramping.
The government said the two latest deaths would be reviewed by SAAS, as per standard protocols.
"We don't know whether the delay in getting ambulances there was a contributing factor," Premier Steven Marshall said.
Health Minister Stephen Wade said a "preliminary update" had indicated "ramping wasn't a factor", and that Monday was a day of "high triple-0 demand".
"I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the people who've died," he said.
"SAAS will do a full review … [and] we'll look at all the factors to see what could have led to a better outcome.
The incident follows an episode on Friday night in which, the union said, a woman was resuscitated after her heart stopped while she waited in an ambulance to be admitted to the Flinders Medical Centre.
Mr Wade said there were a "series of factors" affecting response times which, he said, had improved since January when COVID-19 left many frontline health staff unable to work.
"Often a call-out is a matter of life and death, but not every call-out can avert a death, so that's why each case is reviewed by the ambulance service, to see what factors impacted on the patient outcome and what part ambulance response times may have played," he said.
Both parties say they will fix ramping
Labor health spokesman Chris Picton, who also offered his condolences, said the individuals involved had "waited far too long for an ambulance".
"I spoke to paramedics myself directly who were ramped for two hours yesterday, paramedics who were ramped with a heart patient for two hours," he said.
"Our emergency departments this morning are completely overwhelmed."
He said while Labor had committed to reducing ramping, he conceded it would not be a quick fix.
"We have put forward a clear, comprehensive plan, well-funded to address and fix the ramping crisis," he said.
"We currently have the worst ambulance response times in Australia, according to the federal Productivity Commission.
"It will take time to invest these resources, to build extra hospital beds, to hire the extra doctors and nurses that we need."
Mr Marshall said his party was also committed to ending ramping in South Australia.
"We want to end delays through our hospital system. That's why we've got record investment into this area at the moment," he said.
SAAS has been contacted for comment.
