HACSU Industrial Manager Robbie Moore and AESB Delegate Cam Johnson did media today about ramping and response data.

AT response time data continues to decline for P0 and P1 responses and we all know the most significant factor in this is ramping at hospitals.

Frontline staff, doctors, nurses, AHPs and paramedics all understand that bed block and patient flow issues are a significant contributor to hospital efficiency. Primary intake areas - emergency departments - need a surge workforce or surge unit to take admitted patients away from the ED so ambulances aren’t stuck in an endless loop of increasing offload delays.

AT absolutely need more resources, but HACSU analysis suggests that in most cases the best bang for your health dollar is dealing with bed block and patient flow issues.

Hospitals need better capacity analysis, and the government needs to do this work urgently. The hospital system is working at 100% capacity far too often, which is clear evidence that we don’t have a system that’s fit for purpose.

We don’t agree that hospital ramping of ambulance staff is ‘normal business’ and we don’t accept that increased ramping times and slower emergency response times are inevitable.

HACSU will be focusing on getting better in hospital resources in order to achieve better outcomes for members working in and out of hospitals, with a focus on improved patient experiences and better health outcomes.