Ramping is worse across Australia than during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no state or territory meeting its self-imposed targets for transfer of care, the AMA says.

While definitions vary, transfer of care is generally tracked from the time the ambulance arrives at the hospital to when the patient is transferred to ED and the clinical handover is finalised, according to the AMA’s 2026 Ambulance Ramping Report Card.

All jurisdictions except the ACT report time targets for transfers.

In NSW, Queensland and SA, it is 90% of transfers completed within 30 minutes. In Victoria, it is 90% of transfers in 40 minutes. And in WA and the NT — which started reporting these figures later — it is 100% in 30 minutes.