Horowhenua Chronicle: Ambulance Services Inquiry
Since becoming an MP, St Johns Ambulance has asked me to be an observer on one of their night crews. Horowhenua is considered a ‘hot spot’ with a lack of double crewing, especially after hours. So last Saturday night (September 1) I visited St Johns Levin depot in the old Horowhenua hospital grounds.
I revised my first-aid book just in case I was called on to lend a hand, but was more confident of my driving ability if called upon. It was a Saturday night that the phone didn’t ring. They told me this happens just a few times a year, and that the night previous had been extremely hectic. The quiet night, over a lengthy cup of tea with a paramedic and volunteer, enabled me to come to grips with the issues St Johns face in Levin. Knowing that you can’t get a doctor in Levin after 7pm on the weekends, St Johns provides a vital link for the sick or injured in our community.
My visit was also timely, as I was able to lobby the National MPs on Parliament’s Health Select Committee to support an inquiry into Ambulance Services. This inquiry was confirmed last week and will be fairly broad. Different ambulance organisations and District Health Boards will be invited to make submissions.
I hope the inquiry will expose the issue surrounding the lack of double crewing in Horowhenua and other provincial regions. It should also expose the contractual obligations between the Ministry of Health, ACC and St Johns and that the contract is currently more focused on response times rather than ensuring safety and quality of care (double crewing).
I gained a greater understanding of many of these issues when I met with the Chief Executive of New Zealand St Johns, Jaimes Wood, late last year after becoming very concerned about the lack of double crewing ambulances in our community.
The difficulty with only one person per ambulance (paramedic) is it’s hard to look after the patient on the way to Palmerston North Hospital and drive the ambulance at the same time. There are also safety concerns for a single ambulance officer, where a patient may be in shock or high on drugs. Paramedics are required to be trained to a very high standard and there is a shortage of suitably qualified paramedics around New Zealand, particularly in rural and provincial areas. One Paramedic I spoke with had shifted from Auckland’s North Shore and reckons Horowhenua is a great place to work, away from the madness of city life.
Volunteers have also always played a huge role in St Johns. I recall many rugby games that I played and if ever I was slightly injured I was so pleased to see a St Johns volunteer on the side line. The difficulty is to find, attract and retain volunteers in today’s busy times, no matter what organisation it is.
Many ambulance organisations are funded partially by public donations, selling their merchandise or providing a service (like hospital transfers or the weekend sports grounds).
The inquiry will hopefully also touch on air ambulance services and how important the Square Trust Rescue Helicopter is to our community. This wonderful service is critical to those injured to have a chance of survival in the golden hour.
Many will remember back in 2005 when the Labour Government wanted to give the Palmerston North rescue helicopter the chop and have our area serviced from Wellington. I launched a petition that gained the support of 13,000 people in our region, and helped to force a re-think.
Thanks to St Johns for hosting my visit. I’ll continue to do my bit to ensure we get better after hours’ health services in the Horowhenua. I’ll keep you informed through this column of progress with the ambulance inquiry.