Ambulance ramping is getting worse in Australia. Here’s why – and what we can do about it

We’ve seen countless media reports in recent days, weeks and months about the ramping of ambulances at hospital emergency departments (EDs) around Australia.

Ambulance ramping occurs when paramedics are made to wait at the hospital’s entrance and are unable to transfer their patient into the emergency department within an appropriate time frame – defined as 30 minutes in South Australia.

Ramping is an indicator of hospital stress. It means patients are waiting longer to receive care in the emergency department, and patients requiring inpatient care are waiting longer to access a hospital bed.

Research suggests ambulance ramping and having to wait longer for a hospital bed are associated with a greater risk of patients dying up to 30 days after their initial presentation.

So why is ambulance ramping still a problem? And what can we do to fix it?