SA ambulance response times, ED capacity in spotlight after man's death in car crash

South Australian ambulance response times are in the spotlight amid calls for a review into a man's death at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on Saturday.

Paramedics were dispatched to Main South Road in Sellicks Hill on Saturday following reports of a seizure and subsequent cardiac arrest. 

The case was upgraded to priority one, the highest urgency level, within two minutes of the initial call. 

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But despite the upgrade, the first ambulance crew didn't arrive for more than a quarter of an hour. 

"The crew who responded were about 17 or 18 minutes away. They were first on scene. There were some bystanders luckily doing some CPR and they had managed to gather a defibrillator," Paul Ekkelboom from the Ambulance Union said.

The Ambulance Union says an intensive care paramedic arrived 16 minutes later, with another crew arriving in 30 minutes.

However, the man in his 70s died at the scene.

The government's target response time for priority-one cases in metropolitan areas is eight minutes, however authorities say this incident occurred outside the metropolitan zone. 

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"Ideally, I would love to get to every patient as soon as possible, in this case, this was as soon as possible," Rob Elliott from the South Australian Ambulance Service (SAAS) said.

"What we do try and do is make sure we have good regional coverage, good access to resources," he added.

The opposition has called for a formal review of the circumstances surrounding the death. 

"It's tragic for the family, it's tragic for the paramedics and South Australians deserve answers," health spokesperson Ashton Hurn said.

The incident comes as significant strain is placed on hospital emergency departments due to flu season, with several exceeding their capacity, leading to extended wait times.

"We know that is a pressure point because we know we need additional beds and that's exactly what we're doing," Health Minister Chris Picton said.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.