SA Emergency Departments at Breaking Point: Doctors Warn of Corridor Care Crisis
Medical professionals in South Australia are issuing stark warnings that the state's severely overcrowded emergency departments could soon see even more patients being treated in corridors and alternative spaces. This alarming prediction comes as pressure intensifies for an urgent, independent review into the tragic death of Kilburn grandmother Helen Sargent at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
System Buckling Under Pressure
Royal Adelaide and Queen Elizabeth Hospital doctor Dan Haustead has told media outlets that the entire hospital system is buckling under immense strain. "I think the hospital system is getting worse," Dr Haustead stated bluntly. "People have been at breaking point for a long time because you're seeing adverse outcomes for people and there's nothing you can do about it."
Emergency specialists are now suggesting that alternative spaces may be necessary to cope with overwhelming demand. "What we're proposing is not specifically corridors," Haustead clarified. "But things like lounges on the ward where patients — for example, those waiting for aged-care places — could sit during the day while sick patients come into the beds, and then at night they go back to a bed."
Tragic Incident Sparks Outrage
The warnings follow increased public scrutiny after media coverage of Helen Sargent's death. The grandmother was left unattended for more than an hour in a corridor at the Royal Adelaide Hospital without access to an emergency buzzer. She was later found unresponsive and pronounced dead just fifteen minutes after staff returned to check on her.
This incident has prompted more patients to come forward with their own distressing experiences. Last week, Andrew Speck reported waiting for hours at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital while suffering severe abdominal pain. "They put a couple of blankets down and I had to lay on the floor," he revealed to reporters.
Political Pressure Mounts
As a coroner's report is being prepared, Premier Peter Malinauskas faces mounting calls to order an urgent, independent review into hospital conditions and patient safety protocols. Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn has been particularly vocal, stating that CCTV footage from the incident speaks for itself.
"When something like this happens and you can see the vision for yourself, I think it does warrant an independent investigation," Hurn emphasized.
Dr Haustead acknowledged the difficult balance facing policymakers, noting that "the system is not functioning" while adding realistically that "you can't spend the entire budget on health care." However, medical professionals insist that immediate action is needed to prevent further tragedies and alleviate the dangerous overcrowding plaguing South Australia's emergency departments.
