Labor Government Delivers on Ambulance Reform
The Malinauskas Labor Government is injecting another $58 million into the SA Ambulance Service in this year’s State Budget to roll out an electronic patient care record system, build more ambulance stations and expand a key hospital avoidance team.
This investment includes $24 million for three brand-new ambulance stations, with Whyalla and Two Wells receiving their first dedicated facilities.
Two Wells will get its own brand-new ambulance station for the first time to service the expanding region which currently relies on crews based at the Mallala and Gawler stations.
These new stations will provide modern, fit-for-purpose workspaces for paramedics, improving their ability to serve their communities.
Construction is expected to begin early next year, with completion anticipated in 2026.
Premier Peter Malinauskas remarked, “These three new stations including, Two Wells and Whyalla mean our Government is now delivering a total of 15 brand-new ambulance sites for South Australians”
The Government’s ongoing commitment to improving ambulance services has already had positive results. Recruitment of an additional 219 paramedics has significantly reduced response times, with 66.7% of Priority 2 emergency calls now reached on time (April 2024) compared to just 36.2% in January 2022 with Premier Malinauskas reinforcing that the Labor Government “are giving our ambulance service the tools it needs to deliver life-saving care to patients in emergencies.”
SAAS will also receive a new electronic patient care records (ePCR) system that will streamline workflows, improve communication with hospitals, and allow paramedics to record patient information electronically. Additionally, an expansion of the Clinical Telephone Assessment (CTA) service is expected to double assessment capacity and potentially save twice as many unnecessary ambulance callouts each month.
