More beds have been announced for one of Adelaide's biggest hospitals, with the need highlighted by a patient who shared photos of their stay in a storeroom.
The Flinders Medical Centre patient posted photos on social media of their hospital bed earlier this month in an area with chairs, boxes and medical equipment.
"All I can do is cry," they wrote.
In a statement, a government spokesperson said all beds were "safe and staffed appropriately".
"This bed is a treatment area, which is only used for overnight patients when there are surges in demand because of the current lack of bed infrastructure," the spokesperson said.
It was revealed last November that eight areas formerly used for storage or treatment had been converted to inpatient bed spaces at Flinders Medical Centre in a bid to ease pressure on its emergency department.
Opposition health spokesperson Ashton Hurn said she was concerned for patients and health care workers.
"I think there is absolutely no reason in modern Australia that any patient should be shuffled into a storage space," she said.
Premier Peter Malinauskas agreed it was not good enough and said the government was "moving at record pace" to address the bed shortages.
"And that's why we're building a lot more beds here," he said.
"It's that simple."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined Mr Malinauskas today to announce 26 new acute inpatient beds will open at the hospital in the next few weeks.
The government said a "less-acute" ward will move to the Repat health precinct, in Daw Park, to make space for those 26 beds.
In addition, an administration area will be converted to a ward to deliver the first 16 beds out of 136 that were previously promised as part of a $400 million upgrade to Flinders, jointly funded by the state and federal governments.
The 16 beds are expected to open in the first half of 2024, four years ahead of schedule.
"The full upgrade will be completed by 2028," Mr Albanese said.
Yesterday, the federal government announced five urgent care centres would open in South Australia in a bid to ease pressure on emergency departments.
