The Malinauskas Labor Government has significantly bolstered the state's health system with almost 2,800 extra health workers above attrition since coming to government – far exceeding election commitment targets.
New data shows the Government has recruited an additional 2,794 full time equivalent nurses, doctors, ambos and allied health workers in the three years since the election.
The health staffing boost across our hospitals and health sites shows that from March 2022 to March 2025, the State Government has recruited the following FTE staff above attrition:
Additional staff |
Since March 2022 |
March 2024 – March 2025 |
Nurses |
+1,462 |
+771 |
Doctors |
+646 |
+317 |
Allied health workers |
+385 |
+192 |
Ambos |
+301 |
+82 |
TOTAL |
+2,794 |
+1,362 |
The 1,462 extra nurses recruited is almost five times the 300 additional nurses promised at the election, while the 646 additional doctors is more than six times the 100 pledged.
These 2,794 additional staff are supporting the Government's commitment to open 600 more beds right across the system to deliver better healthcare for South Australians.
The biggest boost has occurred at the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network – which includes Flinders Medical Centre and Noarlunga Hospital – with 801 additional doctors, nurses and allied health workers recruited.
The Central Adelaide Local Health Network – which includes the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital – has also had a big uplift – with 753 additional staff.
The SA Ambulance Service has recorded a 21 per cent increase in ambos across the state.
To continue these recruitment efforts, a new recruitment campaign has kicked off to lure mental health professionals to South Australia from interstate and overseas.
The revamped For Work. For Life. campaign promotes South Australia as the place for healthcare professionals for a work-life balance.
With a specific target on mental health professionals interstate and overseas, the campaign, running from April to June, is appearing across social media and in specialist health publications across Australia, the United kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand.
More information on the campaign can be found at For Work. For Life.
It comes as our investments in the state's ambulance service continue to help paramedics reach more patients on time in life-threatening emergencies.
South Australia recorded its best April Priority 2 lights and sirens ambulance response times in five years – with 2,511 more South Australians reached on time in April 2025 compared to March 2022 when we took office.
In April 2025, ambulances reached 67.7 per cent of all P2 emergencies within the target time of 16 minutes, the best April P2 response times since 2020 and also a significant improvement on last month (63.8 per cent).
Priority 1 response times also significantly improved in April, with 72.3 per cent of P1 cases reached on time compared to 67.6 per cent in March.
As put by Peter Malinauskas
We are building a bigger health system for South Australians – new hospitals, more wards, beds, services and health staff.
The nearly 2,800 additional doctors, nurses, allied health workers and ambos we've recruited above attrition since coming to government will help us staff the 600 extra beds we've committed to delivering.
We know South Australia is a great place to live and work and we're proud to be growing our health workforce so significantly, both with locals and people from interstate and overseas.
It's also fantastic to see our best P2 April response times in five years.
As put by Chris Picton
Our workforce is at the heart of saving lives and providing the best healthcare for South Australians.
Since coming to government, we've recruited nearly 2,800 additional full time equivalent doctors, nurses, allied health staff and paramedics above attrition – that's a huge boost to our hospitals and health sites all across the state.
I warmly welcome these new recruits to the SA Health family – they'll be key to helping us staff the 600 extra hospital beds we're delivering. I'm so grateful to the entire health workforce for their exceptional care and dedication to South Australians in need.
Our investments in the ambulance service continue to see improvements in response times, meaning that last month more than 2,500 extra South Australians with a lights and sirens emergency were reached on time, compared to the month we took office.
