New data reveals a significant increase in delays experienced by South Australian police officers while transporting individuals to hospitals. The opposition criticizes the situation as a symptom of a wider healthcare crisis, while the government emphasizes its efforts to reduce these delays.
New data has revealed that South Australia n police officers spent over 1,200 hours delayed while transporting people to hospitals in the last financial year. The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests, encompass both prisoners and individuals detained under the Mental Health Act who were taken to hospitals by police.
While the state government highlighted a decrease in the rate of these delays, which has reached its lowest point in five years, the opposition criticized the situation, arguing that it reflects a broader crisis in the state's healthcare system. The data, released under Freedom of Information laws and requested by the Liberal Party, indicated a total delay of 1,264 hours for police in 2023-24. This represents a significant increase compared to the 2019-20 financial year, when the figure stood at 667 hours. A delay is categorized as a 'ramp' incident if it surpasses the 30-minute Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) benchmark for handover between police and emergency department staff. This MOU framework emphasizes the safe transport of individuals experiencing or suspected to be experiencing mental illness to appropriate assessment and treatment services. The Liberal Party's spokesperson, Mr. Batty, expressed concern over the rising number of police delays, stating that it reflects the immense pressure on police resources amidst a surge in crime. He argued that police officers are being forced to act as makeshift ambulance services, spending valuable time idle at hospitals instead of actively combating crime. He further criticized the government for failing to address the root causes of this issue, pointing to the ongoing ambulance ramping crisis in South Australia.The government, however, maintains that it is actively working to minimize police delays at hospitals. They cited a reduction in the rate of delays from 50.1 percent in 2021-22 to 29.3 percent in the last financial year, despite a surge in the number of police transports to hospitals. Police Minister Dan Cregan emphasized the government's commitment to keeping police officers on the streets by expediting their hospital handovers. He acknowledged the increasing complexity of police responses due to evolving societal expectations, requiring more time and resources to resolve. Mr. Batty questioned the rationale behind police being responsible for transporting and supervising potentially dangerous patients to hospitals, highlighting the substantial increase in mental health-related police attendances in recent years. He inquired whether the SA Police are now handling a greater volume of mental health patient transports compared to the South Australian Ambulance Service. Responding to these concerns, Mr. Cregan affirmed the presence of security guards within South Australian hospitals but underscored the police's crucial role in determining whether a potentially dangerous patient requires ongoing supervision. He emphasized the extensive training of police officers, enabling them to make informed decisions regarding patient conveyance and security. SA Police confirmed a significant rise in demand for officers related to mental health incidents over the past five years, with a 116 percent surge in police-detained mental health presentations to emergency departments. The average delay in these instances has also increased by 7 percent over the same period.Mr. Batty concluded by emphasizing the urgency for the government to address the underlying mental health challenges in South Australia, urging them to allocate sufficient resources to meet the growing needs of the state's residents. He viewed the escalating number of police-conducted transports as a stark indicator of the inadequately addressed mental health crisis. Mr. Cregan, however, asserted that the government is dedicated to improving mental health outcomes and highlighted a co-responder program that pairs police officers with mental health clinicians for triple-zero callouts
South Australia Police Hospitals Delays Mental Health Ramping Crisis Healthcare Government Response
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