Bunbury Regional Hospital records more than two thirds of ambulance ramping in regional WA

Ambulances have been parked outside the South West’s biggest hospital for more than 75 hours already this month, putting the facility on track to have the worst ambulance ramping of all WA’s regional hospitals.

Bunbury Regional Hospital had recorded 75.6 hours of ambulance ramping as of Wednesday, August 24, with a week left to go in the monthly tally.

Shadow regional health minister Martin Aldridge said the figures showed the State’s ambulance ramping crisis was “out of control”.

The numbers follow the peak of 118.4 hours of ramping in Bunbury in June, which decreased to 88.7 hours in July.

The figures mean Bunbury has contributed more than two thirds of country hospital ramping across all of WA and place Bunbury as the worst regional hospital in the State for ambulance ramping.

So far this month Albany Regional Hospital recorded 6.3 hours, Geraldton Regional Hospital recorded 19 hours and Northam recorded 11.2 hours.

Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital recorded 0.8 hours, while Broome Hospital and the Hedland Health Campus have not recorded any ramped hours this month.

WA Health Department records show Busselton hospital recorded zero hours of ambulance ramping up to August 23.

Bunbury’s ramping figures come despite Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson announcing a $252 million funding package in May, which was designed to address some of the systemic causes of ramping.

But the Opposition has criticised the State Government of allowing the situation to “spiral”.

“Ambulance ramping in regional Western Australia has spiralled out of control on the McGowan Labor Government’s watch,” Mr Aldridge said.

“In regional centres like Bunbury the impacts of ambulance ramping is magnified with ambulance crews covering greater distances, causing significant delays in the return of the ambulance to the community.

“It is time for the McGowan Labor Government to treat health services in Bunbury and regional WA with the same urgency they are placing on MetroNet and other city-centric projects.”

According to St John WA, hospitals aim to receive all patients within 30 minutes of an ambulance’s arrival at their emergency departments. Anything longer than this 30 minute window is referred to as ramping.

WA Country Health Service was contacted for comment.