Ambulance ramping grew to its highest level this year at Peel Health Campus in September

September was the worst month for ambulance ramping at Peel Health Campus this year.

Figures show ramping at the hospital has grown steadily worse since 2020, there was a sharp drop in 2023 - before waiting times grew to this year’s record high of 447 hours.

This is a sharp increase from the 221 hours recorded in June.

Ambulance ramping results from an imbalance between people presenting at emergency departments and the hospital’s ability to treat them and move those needing a bed to a ward.

Paramedics are left waiting at the hospital’s entrance and can’t transfer their patients to the emergency department.

Canning MP Andrew Hastie has expressed serious concern over the latest ambulance ramping figures at Peel Health Campus.

Mr Hastie warns that this issue is not isolated to the Peel Health Campus, with hospitals across the metropolitan region repeatedly experiencing excessive ramping.

Fiona Stanley Hospital, the closest tertiary hospital for Peel patients, recorded 1099 hours for the month – also the highest figure at the hospital for this year.

“This is a serious issue affecting our healthcare system and the broader community,” Mr Hastie said

“We need urgent solutions to ensure patients receive the care they need when they need it most.”

Health Minister Amber Jade Sanderson said “as a smaller emergency department” ramping figures at Peel Health Campus were prone to fluctuation.

“Across the health system, ambulance ramping hours continue to trend downwards. The 2023-24 year saw a 22.5 per cent decline in ambulance ramping hours compared to the previous financial year,” she said.

“We continue to experience high rates of winter-type illness in the community, such as pneumonia, which is increasing demand on all hospitals.”

St John Ambulance WA statistics show the weekly average at the campus has almost doubled since the previous financial year.

This comes after reports last week revealed that birthing women were diverted to other hospitals due to a lack of staff.

Mr Hastie called on Labor to “lift its standards”, saying: “(Labor’s) inaction is putting lives at risk, especially those in the Peel Region.”

Mr Hastie also called out Labor’s unfulfilled promise to upgrade the campus: “Labor promised an upgrade to Peel Health Campus, announcing a $152 million redevelopment in 2020, but they still have nothing to show for it.

“As our region continues to grow, we need reliable healthcare facilities.

“The Peel Region is a great place to live, but without adequate healthcare, Labor is letting our community down.”

Ms Sanderson confirmed that the campus had recruited extra staff during the recent transition from private to public management.

“While staffing for healthcare professionals remains tight in a globally constrained market, PHC recruited more than 15 full-time equivalent additional nurses and assistants in nursing as well as junior and senior doctors during the hospital transition,” she said.

“PHC continues to advertise for nurses, midwives, and support staff as part of normal recruiting processes.

“This is on top of the additional staff added as part of the initial transition, which boosted the total number of number of doctors, nurses, allied health, and support staff to nearly 1100.”