Stop the Empty Slogans and start dealing with the crisis in our Health System

SA-BEST is deeply troubled by the AMA’s 2026 Public Hospitals Report Card. Despite increasing the number of hospital beds in our state, our community is still facing unacceptable delays for emergency care and urgent surgery.

SA-BEST MLC Connie Bonaros said: “We are all sick and tired of hearing the BS promises from our major parties in the lead-up to the election, only for those promises to be forgotten once the votes are in.

“In the lead-up to the 2022 State Election the Labor Party promised to fix ramping. We all knew it was an empty promise they couldn’t deliver on.”

SA-BEST is urging the major parties to stop playing petty politics and start listening to those who know the system.

Ms Bonaros said “The AMA, the Nursing and Midwifery Federation, SASMOA and our frontline clinicians understand the system and its problems better than any politician or political advisor.  It’s time to stop pretending that any political party has the answers and start listening to the experts."

A significant portion of presentations to emergency departments are patients experiencing mental health issues. The AMA has proposed solutions to help ease that burden and it's time to take those proposals seriously.

Ms Bonaros said: “We have been warned for years about a mental health tsunami. That tsunami is well and truly here. When someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, they cannot wait two weeks for a crisis appointment. The only alternative is to present to an already overloaded Emergency Department.”

The AMA reports that around 50% of patients who present to an Emergency Department with a mental health issue are discharged. Better community mental health services would allow those patients to receive the care they need, when they need it, avoiding a hospital visit altogether.

Ms Bonaros said: “Better investment in community mental services means better patient outcomes, and less pressure on our public hospital emergency departments.  It’s a no brainer.”

The AMA is calling for greater investment into mental health crisis services through the expansion of mobile crisis response teams and a dedicated crisis line, providing a 24/7 statewide capability. Service delivery should be measured by introducing a mandatory crisis appointment within 48 hours of referral from a GP or other medial practitioner.

Ms Bonaros said: “But expanded crisis services is not enough. The experts at the AMA have highlighted a critical gap in coordination. We need to invest in what the AMA calls Mental Health Navigators, who are trained nurses or other allied health professionals who coordinate community mental health services for a patient.

“Mental Health Navigators, working closely with primary health professionals and patients, can ensure tailored, timely and effective treatment. Better outcomes for the patient will reduce the burden on our hospital system. Everybody benefits.”

SA-BEST calls on the new government to listen to the experts and invest in these critical services.

Let’s get it done.

For media inquiries please contact Simon Yeaman on 0419 823 670