The South Australian nurses' union is urging the state government to investigate the "regular" use of hospital corridors to accommodate patients awaiting beds during periods of high demand. Following an inspection at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation SA Branch (ANMF SA) submitted a report to SafeWork SA calling for an inquiry into this practice.

ANMF SA chief executive Elizabeth Dabars stated that corridor care is becoming increasingly common in state hospitals and restricts patients' access to essential facilities such as toilets, oxygen, suction, and other safety equipment or appropriate staffing. She described the practice as shifting the visible problem of ramping from hospital ramps into hidden hospital corridors.

Dabars called on the government to extend urgent care centre operating hours to enable round-the-clock admissions and urged coordination between state and federal governments and aged care providers to increase bed availability in the private system.

SA Health Minister Blair Boyer confirmed that corridor care is currently used at the RAH, Flinders, and Lyell McEwen hospitals. This follows a recommendation from a coronial inquest into three ramping-related deaths between 2019 and 2022. Boyer referenced the July 2025 inquest findings, noting that the coroner had "endorsed" the government's comprehensive and well-thought-through approach to addressing ramping, describing it as an "excellent use of public funds."

Earlier on August 3rd, 2026, the state opposition called for an end to corridor care, standing with the family of Helen Sargeant, who died after being left on a bed in a Royal Adelaide Hospital corridor in October 2025.

The debate highlights ongoing concerns about patient safety and hospital capacity management in South Australia.

Sources