1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Now we know that Saint John NT is calling for 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: more resources to help Cruise deal with mounting pressure and 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: increasing demand. The latest report on Government Services showing calls 4 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: for service were more than ninety thousand for the twenty 5 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: three to twenty four financial year, which Saint John's say 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: is the highest level of incidents per capita in the nation. 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,159 Speaker 1: Joining me in the studio right now to talk a 8 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: little bit more about this is Saint John Ambulance Director 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: of Ambulance Services Andrew Thomas. 10 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, and good morning to you. 11 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: Good to have you in this studio now. Andrew, can 12 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: you talk us through the figures when it comes to 13 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: those incidents per population. Yeah. 14 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: So, the Report on Government Government Services, or ROGS as 15 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 2: it's often returned, is an annual report that comes up 16 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 2: and it compares ambulance services across Australia. And it's not 17 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 2: really apple for apples. It's probably green apples to red apples, 18 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 2: because sometimes it's a bit hard to align everything up. 19 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 2: But in realistic terms, what we've seen and the data 20 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 2: that's been provided through in for that just shows that 21 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 2: we're seeing ongoing increasing demand to the point where our 22 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,919 Speaker 2: demand is outstripping our capacity on numerous occasions. 23 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: What do we attribute that increasing demand to. 24 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,680 Speaker 2: Look, I think it's you know, it's probably a sign 25 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 2: that you know, even you know, the help. We know, 26 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 2: the health system as a whole is under pressure, and 27 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 2: in some ways I would say to someone one time 28 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 2: that amulance service is a bit like the canary and 29 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,479 Speaker 2: the cage in a mind, because you know, if it's 30 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,479 Speaker 2: affecting us, you can see that it's going to then 31 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 2: start affecting everybody else. And so you know, while we 32 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 2: you know, as you highlight there, we had nearly ninety 33 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 2: one thousand calls for assistance and around about seventy five 34 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 2: thousand you know responses. We you know, we know that 35 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 2: our paramedics do an amazing job getting out there and 36 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 2: they assess and they treat and around about a third 37 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 2: of those patients we don't take to the hospital. We 38 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 2: actually treat them, were sess them, and we manage them 39 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 2: and we either refer them to another pathway or they 40 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 2: you know, or they don't need to go to hospital. 41 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 2: So there's a lot of great work being done by 42 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 2: our ambulance paramedics to support the health system, but they 43 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: are under pressure at the moment. In terms of we're 44 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 2: just seeing that workload increase. So we've seen that the 45 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 2: call volume over the last five years double and that's 46 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 2: you know, the triple zero calls, and that's also led 47 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 2: to numerous occasions where at times, again in our you know, 48 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 2: the number of calls coming in via triple zero into 49 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 2: the call center is outstripping the number of people we 50 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 2: have to answer those calls. 51 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: So, yeah, what kind of impact does it have not 52 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: only on paramedics that are going out there to treat patients, 53 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: but also on the call center that's taking all of 54 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: those calls. 55 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, so we're seeing that that increased call volume, and 56 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 2: that means that obviously at times through the triple zero 57 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: call center or through the triple zero process, people who 58 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 2: are there with an emergency are you know, finding it. 59 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 2: It'll ring through once or twice and the operator from 60 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 2: Telstra needs to reconnect them, and you know, that's a 61 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 2: delay in an ability to provide that first level of 62 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 2: advice and also to get the information we need to 63 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 2: get an ambulance on the way. 64 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: Do you expect that things are going to kind of 65 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: continue on this path if something doesn't change soon? I mean, 66 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: what do you sort of what do you need I 67 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: spose I. 68 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 2: Think you know, like as we just said, at the moment, 69 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 2: we're seeing across the territory locations where our resources are 70 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 2: regularly overstretched. Where from our paramedics point of view, they're 71 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 2: you know, at the at the hospital and while they're 72 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 2: waiting to finish in hand over the patient at the hospital, 73 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 2: they're being either paged or rung saying there's another priority 74 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 2: one waiting, And so that puts, you know, that emotional 75 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 2: pull on our paramedics. It means that they're also going 76 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 2: from job to job pretty much all day and you know, 77 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: if and if they get a chance to grab some 78 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 2: food while they're driving around, they do. But you know, 79 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 2: again we know that they go to some really emotive 80 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 2: and high stressful situations. They need that ability sometimes just 81 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 2: after a case to have fifteen to thirty minutes down 82 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 2: time to just you know, reset themselves so they can 83 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 2: deliver the best possible care to the nextter motive case 84 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 2: we have to go to. 85 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: So, I mean, is the solution here, Do you need 86 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: additional funding, do you need more paramedics? What do you need? 87 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 2: So we're obviously at the moment going through a contractual 88 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 2: process with the government. But you know, part of that 89 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: contract is the is the number of resources allocated are 90 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: defined in the contract, and you know, we've seen that 91 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 2: over in the last fifteen years, there's only been three 92 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 2: emergency ambulance added into the crewing mix, if you want 93 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 2: to call it across the territory. You know, despite that 94 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 2: ongoing increasing demand. Similarly, with our call takers, in the 95 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 2: last four years, we've seen five years, sorry, we've seen 96 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 2: the calls double and yet on each each of the 97 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 2: shifts there we've gone from four call takers to five 98 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 2: call takers. So what we're seeing is that, you know, 99 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 2: unfortunately there's just not enough resources and we're looking at 100 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 2: alternative methods and ways and as an organization to prioritize 101 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: the well being and the safety of our staff, we've 102 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 2: put methods in place to try and manage those resources 103 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 2: so we can look after the well being our stuff 104 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 2: as still as taking into account that the needs of 105 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 2: the community. But you know, you can only stretch a 106 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 2: rubber band so far. 107 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's difficult because I guess at this point in time, 108 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: we know from the Northern Territory government that you know 109 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: that the budget is not in the state that they'd 110 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: like it to be. You've sort of got all of 111 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: a lot of our frontline workers really looking for some 112 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: changes when it comes to that service delivery or their pays. 113 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: So it's going to be a tough juggle for the 114 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: Northern Territory Government. No doubt there'll be continued discussions in 115 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: that space. But look, I do want to take you 116 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 1: across to those incidents that you're called out to over 117 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: the weekend because it is always a busy time for 118 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: Saint John and I think that whenever we catch up 119 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: with you guys on a Monday, we really get a 120 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: better understanding of just how busy it can be. Now, 121 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,160 Speaker 1: Friday night, things kicked off at about seven thirty at Gunpoint. 122 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: A patient was thrown from a buggy. 123 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, so our crews respond out to Gunpoint there and 124 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 2: normally because of the terrain and particularly with some of 125 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 2: the rain over the weekend, we took a fourweell drive 126 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 2: to respond out there. And you know, there was a 127 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 2: patient out there who was a gentleman who was thrown 128 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 2: from the buggy and required extensive resources to actually get 129 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 2: there and treat him and find him some really great 130 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 2: work with some support from the other emergency services and 131 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 2: so we obviously treated that passion transported to the Royal Darwin. 132 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: Well, that is good and hopefully that young man is 133 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 1: going to be okay. Now, on Saturday two point thirty 134 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: in the morning, McMillan's ride in Jingly, a vehicle struck 135 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: a pedestrian. 136 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, Unfortunately, we continue to see pedestrians being hit on 137 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 2: our territory roads and you know, we keep reminding people 138 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 2: to be vigilant when we're driving, but particularly at night 139 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 2: obviously it is harder to see them. But yeah, the 140 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 2: the person there was struck and sustained head and leg injuries. Uh, 141 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 2: and that female was transported to the Royal Dale in 142 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 2: stable condition. 143 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: Andrew, how often would you say that you are being 144 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: called out to pedestrian strikes. 145 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 2: Look, we've looked at the data before and we did 146 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 2: you know, we've been involved, particularly with the road safety 147 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 2: campaigns up here, you know, the Towards Zero campaign and 148 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 2: integrated with all the other stakeholders in terms of road safety, 149 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 2: and we know that obviously pedestrians form a high number 150 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 2: of the road traffic accidents that we go to and 151 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 2: and unfortunately from a from a pedestrian point of view, 152 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 2: you know, when you're in a car and you've got 153 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 2: air bags and safety measures, you know that those things 154 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 2: are there to protect you. When you're a pedestrian, you know, 155 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 2: a pair of jeans and a T shirt doesn't do 156 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 2: a lot to protect you. So unfortunately, we do see 157 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 2: you know, those sort of significant injuries and obviously obviously 158 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 2: the deaths are very tragic, and but we know that, 159 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 2: you know, serious injury from road trauma has a massive 160 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 2: impact on our health system as. 161 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: Well, absolutely, and for a long period of time, very 162 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: often as well. Hey, also on Saturday, five o'clock, the 163 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: narrows at the overpass, there were a single vehicle collided 164 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: with the brick wall. 165 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, so in that vehicle there was three patients and 166 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 2: fortunately they all only had minor injuries, and so they 167 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 2: are assessed at the scene there, and our paramedics there 168 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 2: sort of you know, gave them the all clear and 169 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 2: so they didn't need to go to hospital. But you know, 170 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 2: obviously great I'm assuming that you know, had the seat 171 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 2: belts and all those sides of things on that prevented 172 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 2: them from getting those series injuries. 173 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: Hey. Then a terrible situation in Daily River Saint John 174 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: had to assist care Flight in transporting nine patients to 175 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 1: Royal Darwin Hospital following a horrific car accident. How many 176 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: people were actually in that car? 177 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, so my understanding is that accident happened out there 178 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 2: and there was believe twelve occupants in the car, and 179 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 2: you know, the local health clinic out there did an 180 00:08:56,080 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 2: amazing job, you know, in initially responding and managing those 181 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 2: people until the care Flight teams could get there and 182 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 2: provide that extra level of support. But obviously some big 183 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 2: logistics when you've got to move a high number of 184 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 2: people from a remote location into Darwin, and we brought 185 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 2: on some extra cruise just to make sure so that 186 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 2: when those planes landed, we could get them expeditiously straight 187 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 2: up to the Royal Darwin Hospital for that ongoing treatment. 188 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, that is good. I mean it is an example 189 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: of how care Flights and John or everybody police all 190 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: working together to make sure that you're able to assist 191 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: those people and hopefully they're on the road to recovery. Now, 192 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,319 Speaker 1: a really interesting one on Sunday in Wnelle, a thirty 193 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: one year old female was electrocuted changing a light bulb 194 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: and fell. Yeah. 195 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 2: Unfortunately there I think, you know, obviously, you know. I 196 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 2: think the important point there is always make sure if 197 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 2: you're playing with electricity, make sure they'll turn it off, 198 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,719 Speaker 2: otherwise it can be quite shocking. The you know, the 199 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 2: person there, I think I must have been up a 200 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 2: ladder but obviously got an electric shock. And we know 201 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 2: that you know, when those electric shocks happen, it does, 202 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 2: you know, put that convulsion through your body. So sometimes 203 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 2: quite often you'll see people being thrown. So fortunately from 204 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 2: that person obviously need to go to hospital because of monitoring, 205 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 2: because if you get electricity through your body, you can 206 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 2: play not a cause internal burns, but it can also 207 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 2: mess with the electronics in your heart. So we are 208 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 2: taken through unfortunately, also no major injuries from the fall. 209 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: Lucky, So I guess the advice is make sure you 210 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: turn the electricity off if you're changing a light bulb 211 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: or if you're doing any kind of electrical work. Yeah. 212 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 2: Look, I think you know we've all been there before 213 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 2: and put the electric light bulb in and then's found 214 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 2: that switches on. So I think take a little bit 215 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 2: of time sometimes and just make sure and you know, 216 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 2: as I said, you know, make sure that if you 217 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 2: are doing anything with electrical with electricity, that you take 218 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 2: care and probably leave it to the experts if there's 219 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 2: anything more than changing a light bulb. 220 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: Good advice. I reckon Andrew Thomas, director of ambulance Services 221 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: with Saint John. Great to catch up with you this morning. 222 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time. 223 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, thank you.