Ambulance ramping brainwave will simply push patients into ED corridors, doctors warn
The ramping issue is about lack of inpatient beds, says AMA Tasmania.
An attempt to cut ambulance transfer times by 15 minutes is “artificially treating a number” as an alternative to helping patients, doctors say.
The Tasmanian Government first set a 60-minute transfer-of-care target in April 2024, calling it a “ban” on ambulance ramping.
This week it is squeezing time further, with a 45 minutes target which will be further reduced to 30 minutes next year.
If paramedics do not transfer a patient’s care to ED doctors within the timeframe, the case is escalated to senior ED staff.
