A new ambulance station and a hospital avoidance hub have launched in Woodville,  Adelaide, enhancing emergency health care accessibility in the region.

The A$7.8m Woodville ambulance station, the first of five additional metro stations planned by South Australia’s Malinauskas Government, aims to fill a critical gap in ambulance coverage.

Concurrently, the new Hospital Avoidance Hub at Woodville South is set to alleviate pressure on nearby emergency departments (EDs).

The Woodville ambulance station will house 16 paramedics and serve as the base for the Western Paramedic Intern Development Team of SA Ambulance Service (SAAS).

This station is part of a broader initiative that includes the recent inauguration of the $314m Kangkanthi building at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH), which added 67 beds and expanded the ED by nearly 50%.

An additional 60 beds are expected to open at TQEH by the end of next year.

The station's opening coincides with the arrival of 34 graduate paramedic interns at SAAS, who will receive extensive training before deployment. This follows the establishment of new stations at Birdwood, Strathalbyn, and Port Augusta since the election.

The BRIGHT service at TQEH, named after the new western Hospital Avoidance Hub, offers a range of treatments and aims to divert patients from EDs when appropriate, following the success of similar services at Sefton Park and Daw Park.

This service has already contributed to the diversion of about 17,000 patients from unnecessary hospital ED visits in the past 18 months. It provides multidisciplinary rapid assessment and acute care, including consultations, medical imaging, and supported transport.

Ambulance response times have shown improvement, with 71.1% of Priority 1 incidents reached within eight minutes last month, a significant increase from 50.7% in June 2022.

The SAAS Operational Growth Plan continues with the upcoming unveiling of the new Norwood Ambulance Station, scheduled for a Community Open Day on 28 July.