1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,080
Speaker 1: It's been a pretty busy weekend by the look of

2
00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:05,480
Speaker 1: things for Saint John. And joining us on the line

3
00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:09,480
Speaker 1: right now is Saint John Ambulance Director of Ambulance Services,

4
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:10,400
Speaker 1: Andrew Thomas.

5
00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:12,120
Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Andrew.

6
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:14,160
Speaker 3: A very good morning, dear Katie.

7
00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,360
Speaker 1: Now, mate, before I get to some of the pressures

8
00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,599
Speaker 1: on our ambulance, you know, and not our Saint John

9
00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:22,880
Speaker 1: at the moment when it comes to wait times at the.

10
00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:23,480
Speaker 2: Hospital, etc.

11
00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:25,960
Speaker 1: I want to head across and just find out a

12
00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,120
Speaker 1: bit more about some of the incidents from the weekend.

13
00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,120
Speaker 1: And I know Saturday, unfortunately the weekend started with a

14
00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:36,120
Speaker 1: tragic drowning at Berry Springs. Yeah.

15
00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,839
Speaker 3: Look, unfortunately it was a very busy weekend for our

16
00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:43,640
Speaker 3: cruise this weekend as always, and unfortunately, as you said that,

17
00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,960
Speaker 3: our cruise around nine am responded out to a call

18
00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,600
Speaker 3: out of Berry Springs where unfortunately there was an elderly

19
00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,640
Speaker 3: gentleman there who was found in the pool and unfortunately

20
00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,560
Speaker 3: our cruise were unable to do anything and that general's

21
00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,800
Speaker 3: passed away. A police are obviously investigating that. Now our

22
00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,440
Speaker 3: thoughts go out to the family and friends of that person.

23
00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, it sounds like a really tragic situation there.

24
00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:13,679
Speaker 2: Now, I know it's not the only thing.

25
00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,640
Speaker 1: On Saturday you responded to a motorbike crash involving a

26
00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:17,440
Speaker 1: ten year old.

27
00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:23,319
Speaker 3: Yeah, down at Mataranka in the evening. A young young

28
00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,000
Speaker 3: person there on a motorbike came off and the young

29
00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,759
Speaker 3: boys saying some head and lead injuries and so our

30
00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,640
Speaker 3: cruise from Catherine responded out there, I believe, with the

31
00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,160
Speaker 3: clinic as well, and they were taken through to Catherine

32
00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:42,200
Speaker 3: to further treatment and we hope he has a speedy recovery.

33
00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:44,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, I hope so as well.

34
00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,280
Speaker 1: Now on Sunday a report of a motorcycle incident out

35
00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:49,720
Speaker 1: on Gunpoint Road.

36
00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,200
Speaker 3: Yeah, obviously with the good weather, people were out and

37
00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:58,960
Speaker 3: about and a forty five year old gentleman there came

38
00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,520
Speaker 3: off his bike and sustained some lead injuries there though

39
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,640
Speaker 3: not too serious, but he did require our ParaMed to

40
00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,799
Speaker 3: go out there and transporting through to Royal Dalhin for assessment.

41
00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,120
Speaker 3: So again hope he's making a speedy recovery and you

42
00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:13,679
Speaker 3: know they get back on your bike.

43
00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:14,400
Speaker 2: Yeah.

44
00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:16,440
Speaker 1: Hey, I know that you guys had a lot of

45
00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,080
Speaker 1: volunteers and stuff as well out of Hidden Valley for

46
00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:20,080
Speaker 1: the supercars.

47
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:21,240
Speaker 2: How did it all go.

48
00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, it was a great weekend and you know,

49
00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,080
Speaker 3: I think you know, the build up to the whole

50
00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,920
Speaker 3: Triple Crown event and with the v aps in and

51
00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,120
Speaker 3: around the city and then obviously over the weekend, lots

52
00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,080
Speaker 3: of people out there watching the racing. So we had

53
00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,120
Speaker 3: our volunteers and paramedics out there supporting the event and

54
00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,480
Speaker 3: the community out there and you know, they were there

55
00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,480
Speaker 3: and they were treading lots of minor ailments sports unfortunately,

56
00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,760
Speaker 3: nothing too serious. And by the sound of it, was

57
00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:54,680
Speaker 3: a really good weekend for everyone that went out there,

58
00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,799
Speaker 3: and a big thank you to all of our volunteers

59
00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,960
Speaker 3: and staff and the event organis. We're putting on such

60
00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:01,560
Speaker 3: a great event.

61
00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,639
Speaker 1: Now there's I mean, over the dry season, there are

62
00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:06,959
Speaker 1: so many events that you guys are involved in, whether

63
00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,320
Speaker 1: it's staff or volunteers. Are you always sort of on

64
00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,040
Speaker 1: the lookout for more volunteers?

65
00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:18,880
Speaker 3: Oh? Absolutely, Katie, you know, you know, having those volunteers

66
00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,600
Speaker 3: it really supports the lifestyle that we love in the

67
00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,560
Speaker 3: territory and particularly through the dry season, there's so many

68
00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:30,480
Speaker 3: events and opportunities for people to be involved and obviously

69
00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,320
Speaker 3: learning first aid and being able to be involved with

70
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,960
Speaker 3: their John and providing that one as an experience being

71
00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:37,720
Speaker 3: able to go to the events and to giving back

72
00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,000
Speaker 3: to the community, but you also learn all those life

73
00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,000
Speaker 3: skills and first aid that you know not only helps

74
00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,320
Speaker 3: you win at an event, but also you know if

75
00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:47,440
Speaker 3: you're out and about with family or friends and suddenly

76
00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,640
Speaker 3: something happens. So you know, we obviously encourage anyone who's

77
00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,600
Speaker 3: interested in becoming a volunteer with Sir John to get

78
00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:55,560
Speaker 3: in contact through our website.

79
00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:58,600
Speaker 1: I know last week we've spoken quite a bit more

80
00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,600
Speaker 1: about the pressures on the health system at the moment,

81
00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:05,600
Speaker 1: and that includes Saint John. Those pressures and underfunding of

82
00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,440
Speaker 1: Royal dah And Hospital were really putting the spotlight. I

83
00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,000
Speaker 1: know that the ABC reporting that at times all five

84
00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,560
Speaker 1: ambulances in Darwin are unable to respond to emergencies due

85
00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:18,960
Speaker 1: to delays in offloading patients.

86
00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:20,719
Speaker 2: Is that the case.

87
00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:22,120
Speaker 1: Here.

88
00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:26,560
Speaker 3: Look, Hodiew our workload has continued to increase over the

89
00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,400
Speaker 3: last couple of years, and you know, as an example,

90
00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:33,320
Speaker 3: last year we took around about eighty thousand triple zero calls.

91
00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,440
Speaker 3: It's anticipated by the end of this month in this

92
00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:41,400
Speaker 3: financial year, we will have taken around about ninety two

93
00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,839
Speaker 3: thousand triple zero calls. That's a massive increase in the

94
00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,640
Speaker 3: calls coming through and that then translates into the amount

95
00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,640
Speaker 3: of patients that we're transporting. So we're probably looking at

96
00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,679
Speaker 3: this year around about forty six to forty seven thousand

97
00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,679
Speaker 3: patients that we would have transported, and of those calls

98
00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,799
Speaker 3: that we go to, around about a third that we assess,

99
00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,920
Speaker 3: treat and then don't need to transport. So our crews

100
00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:07,080
Speaker 3: are really really busy all the time. And unfortunately, you know,

101
00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:08,760
Speaker 3: we know that the issues and the pressures on the

102
00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,000
Speaker 3: health system means that at times our crews, particularly in

103
00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:13,839
Speaker 3: dar and they're getting through to the hospital and they're

104
00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,719
Speaker 3: just not able to offload the patients and that does

105
00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:19,800
Speaker 3: cause delays at times in us being able to respond.

106
00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:26,120
Speaker 3: And we do only have five emergency ambulances on a

107
00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,679
Speaker 3: twenty four hour roster in Darwin, and that's what we're providing,

108
00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:34,400
Speaker 3: what we provide as what we're funded to provide, and obviously,

109
00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:36,560
Speaker 3: you know, at times that doesn't mean that when we're

110
00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,920
Speaker 3: unable to unload patients and get back to the community,

111
00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:43,120
Speaker 3: that can cause delays in our responses.

112
00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,360
Speaker 1: How big an issue is that ramping for you guys.

113
00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,320
Speaker 1: I mean when you're trying to get out there, when

114
00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,280
Speaker 1: you're trying to see all of those patients and you're

115
00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:53,000
Speaker 1: trying to pick them up and then take them to

116
00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:56,880
Speaker 1: Royal Dalen Hospital. If you're not able to then offload them,

117
00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,880
Speaker 1: then head out to the next you know, to the next.

118
00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:00,919
Speaker 2: Patient that's required.

119
00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:02,719
Speaker 1: I would assume that it has a big impact in

120
00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:03,960
Speaker 1: a lot of different ways.

121
00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,880
Speaker 3: I look at impacts a number of things. Obviously, it

122
00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,200
Speaker 3: impacts on our times for our to respond out to

123
00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,720
Speaker 3: the community if we can't get out there. You know,

124
00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,120
Speaker 3: it also has an impact on our crews because obviously

125
00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,560
Speaker 3: at times they're you know, they're held up and they're

126
00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,080
Speaker 3: unable to get you know, the appropriate breaks that they need,

127
00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,479
Speaker 3: you know, and to dep use and distress after a

128
00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:29,800
Speaker 3: lot of the workload they're doing. And then you know,

129
00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,080
Speaker 3: that then flows into just that ability for you know,

130
00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,000
Speaker 3: caring for the patient and wanting to be out and

131
00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:39,320
Speaker 3: respond to the community. I do need to say that

132
00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,520
Speaker 3: the hospital works amazingly with us, and I know that

133
00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,240
Speaker 3: they have similar pressures as well, so it's you know,

134
00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,320
Speaker 3: everyone's working in the health system to try and do

135
00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,920
Speaker 3: the best they can. But as I said, unfortunately with

136
00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,000
Speaker 3: the vehicles we've got in the workload we're going sometimes

137
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:55,240
Speaker 3: it is.

138
00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:57,839
Speaker 2: Andrew, what do you reckon?

139
00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,839
Speaker 1: Has do you think that we are seeing such a

140
00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:06,000
Speaker 1: huge increase in you know, like in patients that you

141
00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:07,640
Speaker 1: guys are having to go pick up. But even when

142
00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:10,160
Speaker 1: you look at those triple zero calls, I mean like

143
00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:11,520
Speaker 1: they're massive numbers.

144
00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:16,200
Speaker 3: Yeah, look I'm not sure. I mean we are seeing,

145
00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:18,960
Speaker 3: you know, our pressures on health systems and you know,

146
00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,560
Speaker 3: across the territory wide, we're seeing that. And I think

147
00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:26,480
Speaker 3: it's also just a sign. You know, when I speak

148
00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:30,000
Speaker 3: to other amul and services across Australia at various meetings

149
00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,280
Speaker 3: that I go to, you know, they have similar impacts

150
00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:38,440
Speaker 3: of you know, workload increases and you know the pressures

151
00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,320
Speaker 3: on health systems in each area. But across the territory

152
00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:45,360
Speaker 3: here obviously we know that. You know, at times, you know,

153
00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,360
Speaker 3: we're seeing people move, we're seeing some of the some

154
00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,800
Speaker 3: of the effects maybe of you know, the issues around

155
00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:55,840
Speaker 3: primary tear, particularly you know, post COVID. So I think

156
00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:58,880
Speaker 3: you know, there is that ongoing demand and that is

157
00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,440
Speaker 3: putting pressure on our health system and you know, some

158
00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,480
Speaker 3: of these areas that come up, just highlight where the pressure.

159
00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,200
Speaker 1: Points are in terms of the you know, the average

160
00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:08,920
Speaker 1: turnaround time for paramedics.

161
00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:09,360
Speaker 2: What is this?

162
00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:15,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, so we have both for us and across Australia's

163
00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:17,720
Speaker 3: a sort of a general consensus that you know, from

164
00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:20,920
Speaker 3: when we arrive at hospital to when we clear, it's

165
00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,280
Speaker 3: around about thirty minutes is where it should be. So

166
00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:24,960
Speaker 3: that should that gives you the time to sort of

167
00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,760
Speaker 3: get in there, hand over the patient, do the appropriate paperwork,

168
00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,840
Speaker 3: reset the crew and then for them to clear. But

169
00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:37,160
Speaker 3: we know that those times have been extending and we've

170
00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,440
Speaker 3: seen them growing over the periods of time, with an

171
00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,640
Speaker 3: average time now up over at Dulin Hospital up over

172
00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:47,520
Speaker 3: well over forty minutes and at times extending right out

173
00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:52,040
Speaker 3: and those weight times and that ability to offload the

174
00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,319
Speaker 3: patient obviously then has the impact on us being able

175
00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:56,160
Speaker 3: to get back out.

176
00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,720
Speaker 1: You said then that sometimes it's extending well over forty minutes,

177
00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,160
Speaker 1: like how long to what period of time are people

178
00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:03,079
Speaker 1: sometimes waiting?

179
00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,319
Speaker 3: Look, we've had cruise and patients being waiting to get

180
00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:12,319
Speaker 3: off our stretches up in the hospital heading well into

181
00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,559
Speaker 3: the number of hours at times. And you know, as

182
00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:17,760
Speaker 3: I said, we work really well with the hospital and

183
00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,400
Speaker 3: we have been looking at processes and systems about how

184
00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,160
Speaker 3: we can try and address and release cruise. And so

185
00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:28,800
Speaker 3: we have been putting staff up at the hospital to

186
00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,960
Speaker 3: try and co brought a lot of the patients together

187
00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,360
Speaker 3: to be able to release our crews back out to

188
00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:36,440
Speaker 3: the community. And that's one of the methods that we've

189
00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,880
Speaker 3: been putting in. The other one obviously is recalling cruising.

190
00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:42,960
Speaker 3: But you know, the one that it's costly, and more

191
00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,040
Speaker 3: so than just the financial cost is the cost and

192
00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,400
Speaker 3: the paramedics on their days off having to come back in.

193
00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:50,199
Speaker 3: So we know that at the moment, you know, around

194
00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,760
Speaker 3: each month, we're losing around about seven hundred hours of

195
00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:58,319
Speaker 3: ambulance cover beyond that thirty minute turnout turnaround time that

196
00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,720
Speaker 3: it should be just with our crew is stuck up

197
00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:01,440
Speaker 3: at the hospital.

198
00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,520
Speaker 1: I mean, what needs to change to free up the ambulances,

199
00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:06,559
Speaker 1: But it sounds like to ease some of that pressure

200
00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:09,720
Speaker 1: on everybody. Like to me, it feels as though our

201
00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,160
Speaker 1: whole healthcare system is under enormous pressure at the moment.

202
00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,560
Speaker 3: A look, as I said before, Okatie, you know, and

203
00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:23,080
Speaker 3: I have to give credit to the staff both within

204
00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,160
Speaker 3: the ambulance and within the hospital. Everyone is really trying

205
00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,320
Speaker 3: really hard to work together and the whole system is

206
00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:33,560
Speaker 3: trying to do the best it can. It is ramping

207
00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,400
Speaker 3: is a very difficult problem and we see it in

208
00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,240
Speaker 3: other states as well as what we're seeing in here

209
00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,640
Speaker 3: in Darwin, and you know, so I think everyone is

210
00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:44,400
Speaker 3: trying to do the thing, but I think it is

211
00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,120
Speaker 3: just that it is a sign that there is pressures

212
00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:50,160
Speaker 3: within the system and there needs to be some actions

213
00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:51,319
Speaker 3: taken to address it.

214
00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,680
Speaker 1: Well. So John, Ambulance, Director of Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas,

215
00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,520
Speaker 1: really appreciate your time as always, Thanks so much for

216
00:10:58,559 --> 00:10:59,280
Speaker 1: having a chat.

217
00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:00,120
Speaker 2: With me today.

218
00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,200
Speaker 3: No problem, Coaty, thanks you for having you two