The minister has confirmed 56 anaesthetists working across public hospitals in Adelaide have submitted their resignations in an escalating dispute over pay and conditions.

That comes on top of a move by 44 emergency department doctors to also give their notice late last week with their departure scheduled in two weeks.

A number of general surgeons were also considering similar action.

Mr Hill said the decision of the anaesthetists was a disappointing step in the dispute.

But he said the government had not received any details of the demands.

"I call on anaesthetists to sit down with us and negotiate their pay claim, not simply walk away," Mr Hill said.

"Please think about patients who need these health services and come back to the negotiations."

Mr Hill said the government was working on contingency plans to replace those doctors who left, if necessary.

Those plans also included the cancellation of some scheduled operations.

Yesterday Dr James Edwards, chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Committee in SA, said with senior surgeons possibly joining the exodus, waiting lists would lengthen, emergency surgery would be disrupted and patient care significantly affected.

"If the hospitals can't provide adequate services, then how are we going to look after the patients," Dr Edwards said.

He said the resignations would also impact on training for the next generation of surgeons in the state's hospitals.

"I think that this is a problem which has reached a situation where it's going to impact us for years," he said.

The state government says senior emergency department doctors now earn $313,158 annually and its offer will take them to $355,976 but the doctors want a rise to $424,633.

The offer to anaesthetists would take their pay from $269,000 to $325,000.