Patient with broken hip endures hours of ambulance ramping before surgery in Adelaide
Patrick Rainford, 60, spent several hours at an RFDS base and then in an ambulance outside Flinders Medical Centre without pain relief before being admitted for a hip replacement.
A 60-year-old regional disability pensioner, Patrick Rainford, suffered a broken hip on August 25 and was airlifted from Mount Gambier to Adelaide on August 27 for a total hip replacement. Upon arrival at the Royal Flying Doctor Service base at Adelaide Airport, he stayed on a stretcher until about 9:30 am before being moved to an ambulance, which then queued outside Flinders Medical Centre until roughly 5 pm. During this period he was denied pain medication because he had not yet been formally admitted and officials were wary of possible drug interactions.
Rainford described the experience as excruciating, especially given pre-existing back problems. SA Health chief executive Dr Robyn Lawrence and Health Minister Blair Boyer both apologized, saying the department will contact Rainford to improve communication and patient flow. Recent data show ambulance ramping reached a record 5,891 hours in August, and a health performance review labelled the issue chronic, urging a return to pre-COVID levels of under 2,000 hours per month.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing ambulance ramping problems and patient safety concerns in South Australia's public hospitals.
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