The Australian Democrats are calling on the Minister to include the SA Ambulance Service and public hospital emergency departments in the urgent talks to discuss ambulance diversion problems.

"It seems ridiculous that key stakeholders at the coal face of the problem are not included in the discussions," says Sandra Kanck, Australian Democrat spokesperson on Health.

"Amazingly, the SA Ambulance Association was not even included in the formation of the Ambulance Diversion Policy developed last year.

"The government has also ignored the real underlying problem with public hospitals which is the lack of beds.

"The Federal government’s push to increase private health insurance holders has also raised people’s expectations that there will be a private hospital bed for them, when clearly there is not.

"That money would have been better spent on public hospital beds which would have taken the extreme pressure off our health services.

"The Minister cannot just simply blame private hospitals for the pressure on the public health system.

"Although diversions from private hospitals remains a problem, it is by no means the main cause of stress on the system.

"Restricted budgets have resulted in ward closures and the growing elective surgery waiting lists.

"This trimming around the edges will not solve the real root of the problem."