Ambulance service improvements promised with change to St John

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 529, 29 March 1994, Page 1

Ambulance service improvements promised with change to St John

Changes to the Waimarino' s ambulance service as from 1 April will be confined mainly to administration, according to officials. Outwardly the service will remain the same when the order of St John takes over from Good Health Wanganui, although emergency 111 requests for ambulance services will go through the St John communica-

tions centre in Palmerston North, rather than Wanganui Hospital. Manager of St John Ambulance Services, Gregory Phillips, said the Order of St John has taken on the contract covering coordinated land, air and water emergency services in the central North Island, including the Waimarino and Waiouru. Mr Phillips said the organisation intends to implement a number of changes over its contract period, including an improvement to response times, comparable to other areas around the country. In rural areas (including the Waimarino) the expected response to a call, from time of call to arrival, is within 16 minutes for 80 percent of 'Priority 1' calls (those requiring an immediate despatch using warning devices.) For all other calls the expected response time is within 45 minutes. Better communications Other service improvements that the authority wants to be part of the new arrangements are a regional communications centre based in Palmerston North, with 'state of the ari' telephone and radio systems. The centre' s personnel will be highly trained with ambulance communications staff who will receive and process calls, provide advice to callers 1 and support ambulance crews in the field.