1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Some disturbing claim said made by erin Early, the head 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: of the United Voice Union, in relation to well some 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: jobs being held off. It is all part of the 4 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: discussion that we've been having in relation to the review 5 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: which was announced by the Northern Territory government yesterday. Now 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: joining us on the line right now is John Ambulance, 7 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: Director of Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas. 8 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 2: Good morning Andrew, and very good morning De Caatie. 9 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: First off, what's your reaction to the announcement of an 10 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: independent structural review. 11 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 2: Oh, look, as we've said, we're more than happy to 12 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 2: have a review into the ambulance service. And I think 13 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 2: you know, from our perspective, we've been in discussions for 14 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 2: quite a while now with the Northern Territory Government and 15 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 2: MP Health around the needs for an ambulance service and 16 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 2: what's required to deliver the best care across the Northern Territory. 17 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 2: And you know, we think that the scope of the 18 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 2: review is actually really good because you know, it's going 19 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 2: to look at in all of the aspects and making 20 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 2: sure that we've got them and being provided the appropriate 21 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 2: funding to deliver the appropriate crews required for the Northern 22 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 2: Territory and the appropriate resources We've been advocating with to 23 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 2: the Northern Territory government for a while around our workload 24 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 2: and the demand and the pressure on our paramedics are 25 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 2: going up, and that you know, we've been pushing for 26 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 2: increased funding for further services and more resourcing, you know, 27 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 2: to to manage that workload, demand, the issues related to 28 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 2: hospital delays or ramping as it's known, and all of 29 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: those impacts that flow into our ability to respond out 30 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 2: to you know, the community at the time and need. 31 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: So tell me, I mean, how tough is it right 32 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: now in terms of you know, the pressures on our workforce, 33 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: on your on your workforce. 34 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 2: Oh look, our paramedics here are going to work each 35 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 2: day and uh, you know, our being you know seen 36 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 2: basically from job to job, you know, based in and 37 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: around the resourcing and the accruing needs that we have, 38 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 2: you know, and if you look at across the Northern Territory, 39 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: you know, in terms of ambulance emergency ambulances, you know, 40 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 2: we have three in our springs. We have five in 41 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 2: dah and two in Catherine and one in Tenant Creek 42 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 2: and Nulumboi. You know that is that is the maximum 43 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 2: of emergency ambulance crews that are on twenty four hours 44 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 2: in those locations, and those crews are working incredibly hard, 45 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 2: going job to job and then obviously impacted on them 46 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 2: with all the other aspects in terms of the antisocial 47 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: behavior that we've seen towards our paramedics, the delays that 48 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 2: we're seeing at hospital, and the impacts that we have 49 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: on that we've you know, we reported yesterday that we've had, 50 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 2: you know, in the last three years of fifty two 51 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 2: percent increase in triple zero calls into our emergency communications center. 52 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,679 Speaker 2: And those staff there are you know, doing a fabulous 53 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 2: job and as well as the parameds and road everyone's 54 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 2: doing a fabulous job each day getting out there and 55 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 2: serving and delivering the best scare they came to the 56 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 2: community in Northern Territory, and you know, we look forward 57 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 2: to hopefully this review identifying the future growth were needed 58 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 2: to deliver the quality chair that's needed to Territorium. 59 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: Andrew, there had been a claim made by Eron early 60 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: from the union just a couple of minutes ago that 61 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: some jobs are really being held off, that you know, 62 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 1: there's that In one instance, there was a Priority one 63 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: chest pain patient who'd been made to wait for seventeen minutes. 64 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: I think she'd seen. I mean, is that the situation here? 65 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: Are there jobs that are being held off? 66 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 2: Look at Erina with you know, and I heard the 67 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 2: claims from the union. We did review our dispatch and 68 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 2: response procedure earlier this year. We bought it in line 69 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 2: with what other ambulance services are doing across Australia. It 70 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 2: is in response to the fact that we had crews 71 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 2: running for twelve hours without a break and that's not 72 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 2: acceptable from a psychological welfare and the well being of 73 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 2: our paramedics. So we bought some rules in a round 74 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 2: about that at times we will look at for some 75 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 2: of those lower lower priority cases, you know, prioritizing in 76 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 2: effect the well being about our staff and giving them 77 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 2: a break rather than just always continuing to respond to cases. 78 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 2: We've had delays in responding to cases through not only 79 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 2: you know, the provision of breaks, but in terms of 80 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 2: the availability of our crews, the ability to get our 81 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 2: crews out of the hospital at times, and so we 82 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 2: are looking at those. But you know that the highest 83 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 2: priority cases, which is our Priority zero cases, we won't 84 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: delay a response in those, you know, those other sort 85 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 2: of type of cases that we go to, which are 86 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 2: the priority ones, which are lights and sirens. We you 87 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 2: know at times we'll do it, but we do that 88 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 2: now that we have a clinician in comms that listens 89 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 2: to the calls and calls back patients to reassess. We've 90 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 2: done a whole lot of work in terms of looking 91 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 2: at our cases retrospectively and out of those Priority one 92 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 2: cases that we go to which are triarched by our 93 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 2: emergency medical dispatches on our international program and matrix which triarchism, 94 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 2: which is very risk adverse and so we've hand a 95 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 2: lot of cases pushed up to Priority one. We've done 96 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 2: a lot of review into that, and we've found that 97 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 2: over ninety percent of our cases that when we respond 98 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 2: Priority one to when we get there, the patient is 99 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: actually minor injuries or quite stable. So we are looking 100 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 2: at how we can manage our resources. We're looking at 101 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 2: the and primarily focused on the well being of our 102 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 2: paramedics and making sure that we can get them to 103 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,039 Speaker 2: get a break at times during their twelve hour shifts 104 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 2: and also at the end of the shift, prioritizing about 105 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 2: the fact that they can get back to their family 106 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 2: and get home. So you know, we're looking at those 107 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 2: types of things. 108 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: But well, I mean it sounds like a juggle. It 109 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 1: sounds like a massive juggling to me. It sort of 110 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: sounds like that in some instances we have enough paramedics 111 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: and enough you know, like that, there's more funding required 112 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: to make sure that we do have adequate numbers. 113 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,119 Speaker 2: As I said before, Cadie, that's part of the reason 114 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 2: we're really excited about actually having this review. We've mem 115 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 2: you know, I've been in the territory as the director 116 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 2: now for four and a half years, and I've been 117 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 2: advocating for this period of time through to government about 118 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 2: each time around, you know, looking forward to the future 119 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,919 Speaker 2: and the growth, and we've seen exceptional growth in the 120 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 2: last three to four years in terms of need for 121 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,559 Speaker 2: ambulance response yep. And yet we haven't seen that flow 122 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 2: into the funding for ambulance crews. And so we're continuing 123 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 2: to advocate to that. We want to see that and 124 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 2: we see that, you know, that resourcing that's needed for 125 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 2: ambulance crews, the emergency medical dispatchers, the ability to train 126 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 2: our paramedics and provide them to the high quality care. 127 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,679 Speaker 2: The territories expect and that we want to deliver. 128 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:53,720 Speaker 1: I'm fast running out of time, but I do want 129 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 1: to ask you. We've spoken a lot about assaults on paramedics. 130 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: How I mean, is that an ongoing concern and how 131 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: is the staff morale as a result of that. 132 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, unfortunately, Katie, I'd love to have to say 133 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 2: it's getting better, but you know, we're still finding that. 134 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 2: You know, we're having our paramedics being assaulted and that 135 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 2: includes things such as you know, blood splashes and you know, 136 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 2: spitting and a number of things. So it's not just 137 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 2: the physical violence. It is that sort of risk of exposure. 138 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 2: And unfortunately, and we are following through with a number 139 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 2: of these at the moment where we are you know, 140 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 2: supporting our staff to use the legislation to take it 141 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 2: into the courts. I will say that, unfortunately, we've had 142 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 2: a number of cases that have progressed into the courts 143 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 2: and we haven't had the positive results that probably back 144 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 2: up that sort of will trust to do it. But 145 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 2: you know, we get we get around and we rally 146 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 2: behind our staff. We provide them with the support at 147 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 2: the time and then the ongoing support and that goes 148 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 2: right back through to the fact that you know, providing 149 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 2: that education and training to all of our paramedics in 150 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 2: terms of the escalation of situations and really about taking 151 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 2: the welfare and the well being of our paramedics as 152 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 2: our highest priority. 153 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: Andrew, we are going to have to leave it there. 154 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: I always appreciate your time. Thank you very much for 155 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: having a chat with us this morning. 156 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 2: No, thank you very much, Carti, thank you.