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Speaker 1: Well, as always, there's plenty to cover off on this morning,

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Speaker 1: and joining us live on the line from Saint John Ambulance,

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Speaker 1: the director of Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas. Good morning to you, Andrew.

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Speaker 2: Very good morning to you, Katie.

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Speaker 1: Now plenty to cover off on of course, from over

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Speaker 1: the weekend. We know there was five minor crashes around

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Speaker 1: Darwin over the weekend, including collisions with trees. Luckily these

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Speaker 1: accidents didn't result in injuries that required transport to hospital.

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Speaker 1: But I mean it really does just further highlight, doesn't

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Speaker 1: it the issues that we're dealing with on our roads.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, look, unfortunately, you know, obviously lots of minor accidents

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Speaker 2: and probably very fortunate that they were minor. But you know,

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Speaker 2: it's so easy that some of these excellence can turn

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Speaker 2: into more serious events and it's just one of those

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Speaker 2: things about you know, we keep talking about making sure

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Speaker 2: that people are paying attention when they're behind the wheel,

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Speaker 2: and you know, you've got to drive yourself and drive

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Speaker 2: for everyone else around you. You know, as I said,

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Speaker 2: our crews are really busy, but fortunately most of them

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Speaker 2: were relatively minor.

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Speaker 1: Yeah that is I mean, that's lucky to hear, but

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Speaker 1: even on Friday midnight on Baggett McMillan's road intersection A

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Speaker 1: pedestrians struck by a vehicle. I mean that like that

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Speaker 1: road seems to be an area where where we do

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Speaker 1: continually have issues.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, we seem to see, you know, our fair share

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Speaker 2: of car versus pedestrian incidents across the territory. And you know,

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Speaker 2: we know that particularly at nighttime, it is sometimes hard

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Speaker 2: to see people depending a what type of color clothing

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Speaker 2: they're wearing, or some of the street lighting and some

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Speaker 2: of those sort of things. So it is really important

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Speaker 2: that obviously people are paying attention and doing what they can.

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Speaker 2: And you know, obviously in this one, the part that well,

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Speaker 2: the person was transported to hospital, they were treated in assessed,

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Speaker 2: but they fortunately had minor injuries as well. I think

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Speaker 2: they'll make a full recovery.

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Speaker 1: Well, that is good to hear. Now. On Sunday out

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Speaker 1: in Humpty Doo, a thirty nine year old male was

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Speaker 1: bitten by a brown snake.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, they're obviously still out and about and yeah, so

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Speaker 2: they were bitten on the angle there and they called

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Speaker 2: the ambulance and they did the appropriate sort of first

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Speaker 2: aid and treatment and so they were taken through to

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Speaker 2: the Palmeston Hospital, and I know that they had the

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Speaker 2: andy vannine ready to go there. But fortunately the patient

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Speaker 2: was observed there for a period of time and they

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Speaker 2: took really good care and observed them and there was

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Speaker 2: no requirement for the andy vinine and I think the

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Speaker 2: person was released. So but you know, obviously be mindful

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Speaker 2: when you're out and about, and obviously snakes are and

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Speaker 2: obviously if you are bitten, you remain calm. Call Triple

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Speaker 2: zero and you know, I mobilize and put a good

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Speaker 2: compression bandage on while you're waiting for the paramedics to come.

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Speaker 1: Any idea what he was still England it happened, was

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Speaker 1: I mean, was the outside doing some.

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Speaker 2: Work or I have no idea, but you know, and

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Speaker 2: obviously I'm assuming he was out on his property or

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Speaker 2: doing something out there.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, they're always around those snakes. You've got to

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Speaker 1: be so careful. Hey, I do want to ask you.

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Speaker 1: Last week we spoke to Mark mcshannag on the show,

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Speaker 1: who's got cerebral palsy and relies on an electric wheelchair

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Speaker 1: to get around. He'd raised concerns that on a number

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Speaker 1: of occasions when calling an ambulance. He's had to leave

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Speaker 1: his wheelchair behind, which is worth tens of thousands of dollars.

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Speaker 1: Is it the case that Saint John's cannot take people's wheelchairs.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, So look, obviously, after you know, Mark spoke with you,

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Speaker 2: we had a chance to listen through there and obviously

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Speaker 2: wanted to have an opportunity to sort of provide some

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Speaker 2: information and particularly you know, in the past, it was

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Speaker 2: quite some time ago that we did have some ambulances

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Speaker 2: that had ramps on them. But with changes in terms

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Speaker 2: of training and education and the servicing and that it

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Speaker 2: made it really difficult for us to have those on

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Speaker 2: a vehicle. And so we've we tend to try and

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Speaker 2: use those providers that are experienced to be able to

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Speaker 2: use them and so such as taxi providers or access

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Speaker 2: cabs and some of those sorts of things. But because

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Speaker 2: they're they're using them all the time, with our staff,

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Speaker 2: it's not and so it is around a patient safety

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Speaker 2: issue and concern. Obviously, when we respond in an ambulance, particularly,

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Speaker 2: our primary focus is the welfare of the of the patient,

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Speaker 2: and particularly in around that ability to provide that emergency

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Speaker 2: care when we need it. Now we know for people

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Speaker 2: that have you know, access or mobility problems, and whether

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Speaker 2: that be folding walkers, whether it be small wheelchairs, frames

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Speaker 2: right up to those sort of larger wheelchairs that they're

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Speaker 2: an important part of of that person and we need

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Speaker 2: to try and work or we can to do that.

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Speaker 2: So if the mobility aid is able to be sort

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Speaker 2: of fold down and we can secure that properly in

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Speaker 2: the ambulance, then depending what it is, we can take

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Speaker 2: them to hospital with them. But if you know, those

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Speaker 2: larger wheelchairs and we just don't have space because the

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Speaker 2: ambulances are designed for us to be able to deliver

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Speaker 2: that high quality care that we do on the way,

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Speaker 2: and there just isnt anywhere that we can put those

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Speaker 2: those large wheelchairs in. So we do use, as I said,

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Speaker 2: the access cabs and taxis and sometimes rely on friends

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Speaker 2: and family to do so. I do understand and unders

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Speaker 2: and appreciate the position that Mark was in when he

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Speaker 2: did call the ambulance and particularly then having to not

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Speaker 2: have any any money to be able to arrange to

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Speaker 2: get a taxi. So you know, we have we have

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Speaker 2: conversations with NT Health regularly and so we'll have a

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Speaker 2: conversation with them around how we can and try and

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Speaker 2: best manage some of those situations. I do know that

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Speaker 2: the prime you know, the prime care and the prime

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Speaker 2: aim for our paramedics is looking after the world for

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Speaker 2: our patients and getting them through the hospital where we

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Speaker 2: need to. But obviously we know that for these people,

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Speaker 2: particularly anyone who relies on any sort of assistance or

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Speaker 2: aid to support them in their daily living activities, you know,

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Speaker 2: it's a really important part of them. And we take

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Speaker 2: that into part of our holistic care. And you know,

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Speaker 2: obviously we want to make sure that we can, you know,

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Speaker 2: where possible look for a good answer and outcome in

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Speaker 2: all these situations, and they are all.

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Speaker 1: And look, I think the thing is, you know, no

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Speaker 1: one's having a crack at Saint John. We know that

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Speaker 1: you guys are you know, you're doing a wonderful job

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Speaker 1: under what can be really difficult circumstances. I guess the

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Speaker 1: concern here is, I guess the question is, like what

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Speaker 1: happens in other states? Is it the same situation in

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Speaker 1: other states? Like it? Just I was sort of surprised.

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Speaker 1: I had absolutely no idea.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I do know that in a number of

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Speaker 2: the other states they sort of similar to us that

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Speaker 2: they don't actually have dedicated vehicles they you know, they

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Speaker 2: rely on those support vehicles such as as I said,

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Speaker 2: access cabs. Whether you know, health departments have vehicles with

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Speaker 2: those specific ramps and the appropriate restraints so the person's safe,

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Speaker 2: and we know that if the patient needs to be

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Speaker 2: in the wheelchair and can't be and needs to go

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Speaker 2: to hospital and needs to be taken in a taxi

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Speaker 2: or an access an access cab and they need treatment,

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Speaker 2: our patients, our paramedics will go in the in the

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Speaker 2: in that type of vehicle with them the props, if

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Speaker 2: they're appropriately restrained, with the wheelchair being restrained, and our

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Speaker 2: paramedic in there to provide treatment. Obviously, if it's urgent care,

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Speaker 2: then obviously that the care for the patient and getting

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Speaker 2: them onto a stretcher and where we can get to

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Speaker 2: the hospital takes priority.

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Speaker 1: So Andrew in terms of I mean because Mark was

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Speaker 1: speaking up for people with disabilities, you know, feeling that

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Speaker 1: they're treated differently when it comes to what many people

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Speaker 1: would think is common practice. Isn't John able to look

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Speaker 1: at any modifications so that wheelchairs can be secured properly

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Speaker 1: in vehicles or is there anything you think that could

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Speaker 1: be done slightly differently.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, as I said, we're happy to have a discussion

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Speaker 2: with Health because obviously we deliver the ambulance contract on

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Speaker 2: behalf of Health in terms of those vehicles and our

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Speaker 2: ambulances at the moment are designed for putting a patient

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Speaker 2: on a stretcher and then for us to be able

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Speaker 2: to deliver that emergency care in and around the patient

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Speaker 2: on the stretcher, and that's where all of our gear

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Speaker 2: and our equipment is to perform those high level and

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Speaker 2: life saving skills and in the back of the ambulance.

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Speaker 2: So in terms of you know, looking at at alternate

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Speaker 2: vehicles to move some of these people around, obviously that's

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Speaker 2: something would need to have a conversation with Anty Health

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Speaker 2: and to see what the options are and what can

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Speaker 2: be done.

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Speaker 1: Well, we really appreciate your time this morning, Andrew. Thank

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Speaker 1: you very much for having a chat with us, and

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Speaker 1: we'll talk to you again soon.

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Speaker 2: No problem. Catie, thank you very much.

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Speaker 1: Thank you,