Hato Hone St John is pleased to announce the introduction of a 24/7 ambulance service in Te Aroha, strengthening emergency ambulance coverage across the Matamata-Piako District.
Crewed by paid staff, the new enhanced service follows a review by Hato Hone St John of ambulance coverage across the Waikato region and is part of a wider programme to improve access to urgent and emergency healthcare for rural communities.
The new service model provides emergency ambulance coverage to Te Aroha 24 hours a day, seven days a week, expanding on the previous 12 hours a day service.
"We’re seeing demand grow every year, says Hugh Davison, Hato Hone St John North Waikato Area Operations Manager.
“Last year, our frontline crews responded to around 51,000 incidents in the Waikato region, almost three percent higher than the previous year, so the introduction of this 24/7 service will make a meaningful difference.
“It is not only strengthening our ability to respond to emergencies in Te Aroha, but also easing pressure on our frontline staff in neighbouring areas and enabling us to deploy our resources more efficiently and improve emergency ambulance coverage across rural Waikato,” says Mr Davison.
Since starting on 1 May, the new service has enabled Hato Hone St John to respond to 334 incidents in the district and has averaged 3.2 incidents a day. The team has also seen a significant improvement in reaching high-priority emergencies within 12 minutes, up from 43.4% to 54.2%. The most common reason for calling the ambulance were breathing problems, chest pain, falls/back injuries and referrals by a health practitioner.
The 24/7 doubled-crewed service in Te Aroha complements the invaluable work of dedicated ambulance volunteers, who play a vital role in boosting response capability. This volunteer workforce contributes more than $100 million in value each year, providing timely emergency care particularly in rural and remote communities.
The move from 12-hours to 24-hours ambulance coverage in Te Aroha is part of Hato Hone St John’s ongoing commitment to ensuring people living in rural and remote communities across Aotearoa New Zealand have access to high-quality emergency ambulance care, wherever and whenever it is needed.
ENDS
About Hato Hone St John:
- Hato Hone St John provides emergency ambulance services to 90 percent of people in New Zealand across 97 percent of the country.
- Hato Hone St John is made up of a mix of full-time paid staff and volunteers.
- Along with the emergency ambulance service, Hato Hone St John operates a significant number of community health programmes and other activities which help build community resilience. They include Waka Ora Health Shuttles, ASB Caring Caller, St John Youth, and St John in Schools.
- 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 please contact:
Hato Hone St John media team
PH: 0800 756 334 | E: media@stjohn.org.nz
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