Concerns are escalating across South Australia’s healthcare network as nursing representatives demand an immediate intervention into the routine placement of patients in hospital corridors during peak demand periods.

Following a recent site inspection at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation SA Branch (ANMF SA) lodged an official report with SafeWork SA. The union is calling for a formal workplace safety investigation into the growing reliance on so-called "corridor care" across major public facilities.

A Hidden Crisis in Hospital Hallways

ANMF SA Chief Executive Elizabeth Dabars warned that holding patients in hallways is becoming a regular workaround, severely limiting access to vital clinical infrastructure such as call bells, oxygen supplies, suction equipment, and proper toilet facilities.

"What they seem to be doing is shifting the problem directly from the ramp, into the hospital corridors. So they are moving a visible problem into a hidden area," Ms Dabars said. "If it's not safe for people to be out on the ramp, it's certainly, similarly, not safe for them to be housed in a corridor."

To relieve systemic pressure on emergency departments, the union is urging the state government to expand urgent care clinic operating hours to 24/7. They are also calling for improved coordination between state and federal authorities to discharge patients into aged care and private sector beds.

Government Defends Coronial Protocols

In response, SA Health Minister Blair Boyer confirmed that corridor care is currently utilized at the RAH, Flinders Medical Centre, and Lyell McEwen Hospital, explaining that the protocol was adopted following recommendations from a coronial inquest into historical ramping-related deaths.

Mr Boyer emphasized that the strategy is applied strictly under appropriate and safe conditions for selected patients, maintaining that the government's broader response to hospital overcrowding is comprehensive and aligns with coronial guidance.

Political Backlash and Calls for Reform

Despite government assurances, state opposition leaders and clinical experts remain divided on the safety of hallway admissions. Opposition Health Spokesperson Jack Batty called for an immediate halt to the practice, pointing to the tragic case of Helen Sargeant, who passed away after being kept in a RAH corridor in late 2025.

While three internal clinical reviews determined that corridor care was not the cause of Mrs Sargeant's death, Minister Boyer committed to commissioning an independent external review if a formal coronial inquest does not take place, as the family continues to contest the initial findings.