1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: I have got to the point I reckon where I 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: personally think s John ambulance service is so broken I'm 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: not sure I would rely on in an emergency anymore. Today, 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: the union that represents the ambo workers has announced that 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: it's launching industrial action indefinitely. So it says what's happened 6 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: in the pay negotiations as pay negotiations is that at 7 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: first Sint John said there was no money for pay increases. 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: Then they did stump up some money and they did 9 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: make a pay increase offer, but it wasn't like, not 10 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: anywhere near good enough. So the union said no and 11 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: counted offered, but counteroffered. But every time they counteroffer, they reckon, 12 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: Saint John just refuses to even address it. And so 13 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: as a result, they are now going to still be 14 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: doing the Code purple and cold Code red callouts, which 15 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: is like cardiac arrest and life threatening stuff, but they 16 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: are not committing to doing anything else if you hurt 17 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: yourself indefinitely, and by indefinitely they basically mean like until 18 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: they get a decent payoffer. This could go on for 19 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,639 Speaker 1: a year. They said, Now, can you imagine how much 20 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: worse this is going to make the Saint John's AMBO service, 21 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: because it's already enough. I mean, there's a story in 22 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,279 Speaker 1: the papers today of a seventy two year old guy 23 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: who called Saint John to say he was having a 24 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: heart attack, and he knew he was having a heart 25 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: attack because he'd already had two heart attacks before, and 26 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: the AMBO said, no, no, nah, it's going to be 27 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: an hour or two away before anyone gets to you 28 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: because you're not having a heart attack, you've got a 29 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: chest infection. And then there was a story just a 30 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: couple of weeks by the way, he did have a 31 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,199 Speaker 1: heart attack, just fyi. And then there was a story 32 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago of a seventeen year old 33 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: girl who died of asthma. Asthma a completely treatable situation. 34 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: He just chuck some oxygen in there and you'll be 35 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: able to save her life. Died of asthma because the 36 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: operator coded it wrong and sent the AMBO crew on 37 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: a break instead of to save her life. And by 38 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: the time they realized the mistake, my must have called 39 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: a thousand times. By the time they got there, not 40 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: able to be saved anymore. Something is wrong here with 41 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: the AMBO service. I don't think it's just funding. I mean, 42 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: some of it obviously is funding, like we shouldn't be 43 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: relying on a life saving service that runs on donations. 44 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: That's mental. But it's obviously bigger than funding as well, 45 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: because if you've got people incorrectly coding events, which is 46 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: happening quite often at the moment, then I don't think 47 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: funding is going to fix that anyway. I've got to 48 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: a point where I've just accepted it. I've accepted the 49 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: situation is what it is. I've made myself an alternative plan. 50 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 1: If we've got an emergency in the house, I've got 51 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 1: a plan for how I'm going to get people to 52 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:14,639 Speaker 1: the hospital myself, because I do not anymore think that 53 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: I can rely on Sir John, And I just wonder 54 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: how many other people have got to that point too. 55 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 56 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: News Talk said B from four pm weekdays, or follow 57 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.