4. SUE KEDGLEY (Green) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Does he agree that all ambulances responding to emergencies should operate with a minimum of two qualified crew as required by the New Zealand Standard for ambulance services; if not, why not?
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) Link to this
The current contracts with ambulance providers refer to “best endeavours” to achieve double-crewing in accordance with the current New Zealand standard. At least 82 percent of ambulance call-outs are double-crewed, although as better data becomes available it may prove to be a little higher than that. As resources and trained staff become available we will move closer to the goal of complete double-crewing.
Is the Minister aware that in some parts of New Zealand ambulances are routinely responding to emergencies single-crewed in cases including road accidents, cardiac chest pain, back injury, near drowning, and overdose, amongst others, and is he concerned that during the months of March and April alone there were over 100 cases of single-crewed ambulances going to emergencies just in Horowhenua, according to a report from the New Zealand Ambulance Services Association; if not, why not?
I have not seen the New Zealand Ambulance Services Association report that the member has just referred to, but now that I know it exists I will seek it out. There are approximately 300,000 call-outs in New Zealand—just under 1,000 a day—and the vast majority of those are competently completed successfully by two competent ambulance crew. It may help the House to know that despite its name, the New Zealand Ambulance Services Association is not the industry body—that is Ambulance New Zealand. The New Zealand Ambulance Services Association is, in fact, a Wanganui-based union with approximately 12 members.
Maryan StreetHas the Government supplied resources to help attain the New Zealand standard for ambulance services?
Yes, we have—year after year. For example, the agreement with St John’s, which provides most ambulance services in New Zealand, has in the past 3 years included funding increases that require it to employ an extra 67 staff. These extra staff are in addition to the normal adjustments for population, and the price is additional to the normal price movements.
Is the Minister concerned that on 2 March this year a single-crewed ambulance was sent to a patient in cardiac arrest in Horowhenua—the patient later died—and does he agree that it takes at least two people to resuscitate a patient in cardiac arrest and then transport that patient to hospital; if not, why not?
Yes, I am concerned, as I was concerned a month or two ago when, I think in Huntly, a member of the public drove the ambulance because the single ambulance officer was in the back attending to the patient. These instances still occur. The point is that they are occurring less and less commonly because we are increasing ambulance services and funding to ambulance providers each year.
Is the Minister concerned that, by the admission of his own figures that he produced today, about 50,000 ambulance call-outs are single-crewed; does he agree that this widespread practice is putting lives at risk; and will he, as the Minister of Health, take action to give statutory force to the standard for the double-crewing of ambulances; if not, why not?
I should reiterate that the figure of 82 percent is probably conservative; it is the minimum percentage of ambulance call-outs that are double-crewed. Eighteen percent, or fewer, have one. For example, 3 percent of all calls are recorded as having no ambulance drivers at all. That is clearly wrong. I do think that we should move towards double-crewing, and over the years we have put further funding into ambulance services so that we can. That is why we are getting closer to double-crewing now in this country than we have ever been.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. My question was whether the Minister would give statutory force to the double-crewing standard. I wonder whether he could answer the question.
Madam SPEAKERAs the member is aware, in supplementary questions only one question is normally permitted. There were several in that question. The Minister did address some of them.