Hato Hone St John Ambulance has revealed 111 call volumes increased by more than 50 percent over the past nine years, with no sign of it slowing.
More than half a million New Zealanders called the national emergency ambulance service for help last year, with the overall volume of 111 calls in 2022 totalling 673,821 – 11 per cent higher than the previous year (volume of 111 calls in 2021 – 607,010) and 51 percent higher than in 2014 (446,985).
Dan Ohs, Hato Hone St John Deputy Chief Executive - Ambulance Operations, says while the continued growth in 111 calls was not unexpected, the rate at which it has increased is unprecedented.
“Our emergency call handlers responded to a significant number of calls throughout the year and there’s no sign of it easing. December 2022 was the busiest month on record with 61,573 calls – an increase of 8.6 percent when compared to the previous December," Mr Ohs says.
“Calls for an ambulance have been continuously increasing year-on-year for the past decade, but particularly since 2019, and we are having to work exceptionally hard to lessen the impact demand is having on our capability.”
To ensure we can continue to provide a safe and effective ambulance service, Hato Hone St John is focusing on the recruitment of more ambulance officers, ensuring we address health equity of Māori and Pasifika peoples by increasing the number of ambulances in the areas of greatest need, improving the support of our people by increasing the number of frontline leaders, and ensuring our services are delivered sustainably and infrastructure is fit-for-purpose.
“We continue to focus on increasing our overall workforce as well as adding new shifts. We have 7.8 percent more resources on the road than we did this time last year.
“Filling vacancies remains a priority – especially as we learn to live with COVID-19 in our communities and its ongoing impact.
“Our international recruitment efforts have so far been encouraging, with more than 1,000 expressions of interest from experienced paramedics from Australia and the United Kingdom.
“Hato Hone St John’s Emergency Medical Technician Residential programme is also proving a success, with 163 graduates on the road working as ambulance officers around the country since last year.”
Mr Ohs says COVID-19 continues to have a disproportionate impact on workload. The ambulance data shows that calls relating to breathing problems increased 31 percent from 41,945 in 2021 to 54,922 in 2022.
On top of this, underlying demand also keeps rising due to changes in population, demographics, the healthcare environment, and societal expectations.
“This is why Hato Hone St John has been focused on delivering its Manaaki Ora strategy which underpins how we can provide all of our community and core ambulance services in a safe, equitable, and sustainable way,” Mr Ohs says.
Calls relating to drownings have also seen a jump over the past year – up 14 percent from 382 to 434.
“It looks as though 2023 will be another year where we will see a rise in these types of incidents.
"Our ambulance officers attended 66 water-related incidents in December 2022, 63 in January 2023 and 27 in February 2023. Tragically, several of these were fatal.”
Meanwhile, mental health-related incident calls grew three per cent on the previous year – compared to 2021 where it was up 31 percent.
“Anecdotally, we attribute some of the previous year’s increase in mental health related calls to people feeling anxious or depressed from the isolation and uncertainty that COVID-19 and lockdowns brought.
"While any increase in these types of calls is always concerning, it’s pleasing
2022 didn’t see the same sharp increase it had in 2021.”
The number of incidents where a Hato Hone St John ambulance attended in 2022 also rose slightly from 403,650 to 420,407 (four per cent). The areas with the highest growth for emergency vehicle attendance were Central Otago (15 percent), Ruapehu (11 percent), West Coast (11 percent) and Lakes (10 percent).
“While there have been increases for some rural areas, nationally it hasn’t increased as much as 111 calls due to new initiatives like ‘remote triage’ – developed during our COVID-19 response – where paramedics from selected sites across Aotearoa can now provide clinical advice over the phone to our patients, reducing the need for a vehicle response,” Mr Ohs says.
-ENDS-
|
*REASON FOR CALL
|
2021
|
2022
|
% Growth
|
|
Vol
|
%
|
Vol
|
%
|
|
REFERRAL FROM A HEALTH PRACTITIONER
|
80742
|
17%
|
82805
|
16%
|
3%
|
|
CHEST PAIN
|
45616
|
9%
|
52002
|
10%
|
14%
|
|
FALLS AND BACK INJURIES
|
44261
|
9%
|
45768
|
9%
|
3%
|
|
BREATHING PROBLEMS
|
41945
|
9%
|
54922
|
11%
|
31%
|
|
SICK PERSON - SPECIFIC DIAGNOSIS
|
38348
|
8%
|
44351
|
8%
|
16%
|
|
UNCONSCIOUS/PASSING OUT
|
33797
|
7%
|
36585
|
7%
|
8%
|
|
ABDOMINAL PAIN/PROBLEMS
|
21507
|
4%
|
22181
|
4%
|
3%
|
|
TRAUMATIC INJURIES
|
19011
|
4%
|
18168
|
3%
|
-4%
|
|
TRAFFIC CRASH
|
17049
|
4%
|
17138
|
3%
|
1%
|
|
UNKNOWN PROBLEM
|
16312
|
3%
|
16309
|
3%
|
0%
|
|
HAEMORRHAGE/LACERATIONS
|
15672
|
3%
|
16071
|
3%
|
3%
|
|
CONVULSIONS/FITTING
|
14542
|
3%
|
15449
|
3%
|
6%
|
|
STROKE (CVA)
|
13751
|
3%
|
15348
|
3%
|
12%
|
|
MENTAL HEALTH
|
10998
|
2%
|
11345
|
2%
|
3%
|
|
OVERDOSE/INGESTION/POISONING
|
9855
|
2%
|
8883
|
2%
|
-10%
|
|
HEART PROBLEMS
|
9692
|
2%
|
11040
|
2%
|
14%
|
|
ASSAULT/RAPE
|
9535
|
2%
|
10194
|
2%
|
7%
|
|
BACK PAIN - NON-TRAUMATIC
|
6072
|
1%
|
6104
|
1%
|
1%
|
|
CARDIAC/RESPIRATORY ARREST
|
4953
|
1%
|
5205
|
1%
|
5%
|
|
ALLERGIES/RASH/MED REACTION/STINGS
|
4448
|
1%
|
4171
|
1%
|
-6%
|
|
HEADACHE
|
4174
|
1%
|
5093
|
1%
|
22%
|
|
DIABETIC PROBLEMS
|
3903
|
1%
|
3812
|
1%
|
-2%
|
|
PREGNANCY/CHILDBIRTH/MISCARRIAGE
|
2896
|
1%
|
3131
|
1%
|
8%
|
|
CHOKING
|
2314
|
0%
|
2245
|
0%
|
-3%
|
|
BURNS/EXPLOSION
|
1205
|
0%
|
1158
|
0%
|
-4%
|
|
STAB/GUNSHOT WOUND
|
1142
|
0%
|
1170
|
0%
|
2%
|
|
ANIMAL BITES/ATTACKS
|
859
|
0%
|
898
|
0%
|
5%
|
|
EYE PROBLEMS/INJURIES
|
662
|
0%
|
749
|
0%
|
13%
|
|
CARBON MONOXIDE/INHALATION/HAZMAT
|
622
|
0%
|
527
|
0%
|
-15%
|
|
DROWNING/DIVING ACCIDENT
|
382
|
0%
|
434
|
0%
|
14%
|
|
HEAT/COLD EXPOSURE
|
219
|
0%
|
204
|
0%
|
-7%
|
|
INDUSTRIAL/MACHINERY ACCIDENTS
|
179
|
0%
|
181
|
0%
|
1%
|
|
ELECTROCUTION
|
109
|
0%
|
122
|
0%
|
12%
|
|
PATIENT TRANSFER SERVICES
|
75,132
|
N/A
|
80,089
|
N/A
|
6.6%
|
|
|
484,540
|
|
522,254
|
|
|
*These statistics are based on calls received, not number of patients and therefore actual patient numbers are higher.
ABOUT HATO HONE ST JOHN:
- Hato Hone St John provides emergency ambulance services to 90 percent of New Zealanders and covers 97 percent of the country’s geographical area.
- Hato Hone St John is made up of a mix of full-time paid employees and volunteer staff.
- Hato Hone St John has contracts with Te Whatu Ora and ACC who fund
- approximately 90 percent of the operating costs for the ambulance service. The balance on what is required to run the service is made up from ambulance part charges, third-party contracts, and fundraising.
- Along with the emergency ambulance service, Hato Hone St John operates a significant number of community health programmes, social enterprises and other activities which help build community resilience. They include Health Shuttles, Caring Caller, Friends of the Emergency Department, St John Youth, ASB St John in Schools, and Therapy Pets.
- Hato Hone St John also delivers event health services, medical alarm services, first aid training and operates retail stores across the country.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Hato Hone St John Media Team
E media@stjohn.org.nz
PH 0800 756 334 (8.30AM – 5.00PM Monday-Friday)