Published July 2026
The number of Code Black calls at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has almost doubled in just four years, raising serious concerns about the safety of its staff and patients.
Data obtained by the State Liberals under Freedom of Information shows there were 1542 Code Blacks at the western suburbs hospital in 2025. The figure represents a staggering four calls per day and is an 86 per cent increase on the 831 recorded in 2022.
Code Black calls are made by staff who perceive that their safety, or that of the patient, is at risk.
The data has also shown a concerning increase in Code Yellow declarations at the QEH, which is when a hospital has declared an internal emergency and every ward is over capacity or under stress.
Code Yellow declarations almost tripled from 14 in 2022 to 40 in 2025.
Shadow Minister for Health and Wellbeing Jack Batty said the figures painted a concerning picture of a hospital under increasing strain.
“Every Code Black represents a situation where staff or patients have felt unsafe. That should concern every South Australian,” Mr Batty said.
“At the same time Code Blacks are rising, we’re also seeing more Code Yellows being declared because the hospital is under pressure. Those trends should not be viewed in isolation.
“When hospitals are operating under sustained strain, staff are stretched, emergency departments become more crowded and frontline workers are forced to manage increasingly difficult situations. That is not fair on patients, and it is not fair on the doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare workers who come to work every day to care for them.
“Our frontline healthcare workers deserve a safe workplace, backed by a health system that isn’t constantly operating under pressure.
“The Malinauskas Government needs to explain why these incidents continue to increase and, more importantly, what it is doing to reduce pressure on our hospitals, improve patient flow and ensure staff have the support and security they need.”
Media Contact: Ben Avery 0439 955 254
