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Ambulance ramping

St John recorded 5,628 hours of ambulance ramping in September, down from 6,633 hours in August

The AMA (WA) has been at the forefront of the fight to curb ambulance ramping in WA. Our advocacy focuses on addressing the root causes, not just the symptoms, through sustained policy engagement and direct collaboration with health workers and the Government.

What ambulance ramping is and why it matters

Ambulance ramping occurs when patients arriving at an emergency department remain in an ambulance for more than 30 minutes before being transferred into hospital care. These delays compromise patient safety, tie up ambulances that could be responding to new emergencies, and reflect wider pressures across the health system.

Ramping figures across WA continue to highlight the strain on hospitals and the urgent need for change. The data below shows total ramped hours by hospital and over time. Use the options on the left to adjust the chart type, comparison period, or hospitals displayed.

This data is sourced directly from St John WA’s live reporting system, available on their Ambulance Activity and Response Times webpage.

See a full copy of The Five-Point Plan to Tackle Ramping and backgrounder

To tackle the issue, health workers and an unprecedented alliance of health unions who cover more than 90,000 health workers in Western Australia – the Australian Medical Association, the Australian Nursing Federation, the Health Services Union and United Workers Union – put forward a positive five-point plan to address the root causes of ramping and deliver lasting improvements to hospital efficiency and patient care.

The plan calls for:

  1. 400 more aged-care beds

Move non-medical cases into the right care to free acute wards for those who need them most.

  1. New Emergency Department diversions for better pathways for care

The best diversion is prevention, therefore it is essential to ensure immunisation remains a high priority in the community. Beyond that, expand public health options including access to primary care, Virtual Emergency Departments, sexual assault and domestic violence services, extended-care paramedics and acute mental health supports to keep people out of crowded emergency rooms.

  1. Staff every bed

Safe health care requires enough staff to have every bed open, especially during winter peaks.

  1. A 24/7 State needs seven-day hospitals

Operate services at full capacity across weekends to smooth Monday surges and ensure continuity of patient care.

  1. One rulebook for a unified approach to health care

Set clear, system-wide protocols so patients get timely, consistent treatment everywhere.

Representatives of WA Health Unions outside Royal Perth Hospital at the launch of the five-point plan – Carolyn Smith, United Workers Union WA; Dr Kyle Hoath, President, Australian Medical Association (WA); Naomi McCrae, Health Services Union WA State Secretary; and Romina Raschilla, Australian Nursing Federation WA State Secretary.

Ambulance ramping is not confined to Western Australia. It’s a national crisis affecting emergency departments and patients across Australia. AMA Federal continues to expose the issue through initiatives such as the Ambulance Ramping Report Card, which tracks ramping trends nationwide and calls for urgent reform.

Read more from AMA Federal:

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