Hato Hone St John is continuing to respond effectively despite record numbers of 111 calls for an ambulance, with the greatest pressure in Auckland, particularly in the evening and overnight.
Demand reached a new record on Friday 14 August, when 2,606 calls came into ambulance through 111, surpassing the previous record of 2,562 calls on Saturday 8 August. Demand remained exceptionally high over the weekend, with 2,507 calls received on Saturday 15 August and 2,268 calls on Sunday 16 August.
Doug Gallagher, Hato Hone St John Director of Ambulance Operations says ambulance availability is generally holding across most of the country despite the sustained demand. “Our people are continuing to respond effectively and emergency ambulance help remains available. We are continuing to prioritise patients with life-threatening and time-critical conditions.”
“However, we expect workload to remain very high this week, and some patients with less urgent conditions may wait longer than usual to receive an ambulance.
“The greatest pressure is currently in Auckland, particularly during the evening and overnight, when high incident demand can coincide with delays transferring patients into hospital care. These delays keep ambulance crews committed for longer and reduce the number of ambulances available to respond in the community,” says Mr Gallagher.
Auckland accounted for nearly a third (29.5%) of all emergency ambulance service incidents nationwide over the past week, highlighting the significant pressure on staff in Auckland. Winter demand for the city peaked on 13 August when frontline teams received 566 incidents, followed by 552 incidents on 15 August. The most common reasons for calling 111 for an ambulance included referrals from a health practitioner, chest pain, breathing problems, falls, and people feeling generally or medically unwell.
Hato Hone St John’s Level 1 major incident declaration remains in place, providing a clear national structure for monitoring demand, ambulance availability and patient-safety risks, coordinating resources, and taking further action as conditions change.
Mr Gallagher says people should continue to call 111 immediately when someone is seriously ill or injured or there is an immediate threat to life. “This includes chest pain, severe difficulty breathing, stroke symptoms, unconsciousness, severe bleeding, or serious injury. Please do not delay calling 111 in an emergency because you have heard that ambulance services are busy.
“If the situation is not an emergency, particularly in Auckland, we encourage people to seek advice early and consider which other healthcare service may be appropriate and available locally. Options may include a GP or online GP service, a pharmacist, an urgent-care provider, or a free call to Healthline on 0800 611 116. People who do not require immediate advice can request a callback from Healthline through healthy.org.nz.”
Hato Hone St John is reminding the public not every person who calls 111 will require an ambulance response, and not every ambulance attendance will result in transport to a hospital emergency department. Some patients may receive clinical advice over the phone through Hato Hone St John’s Hear and Advise pathway or be referred to another healthcare provider. Ambulance personnel may also assess and treat suitable patients at home or support them to access care through another appropriate service.
“These are clinically led decisions based on the individual patient’s condition and needs. Our focus is on ensuring every patient receives safe and appropriate care,” says Mr Gallagher. “If you have called 111 and the patient’s condition worsens, call us again and tell us what has changed. This allows us to reassess their condition and clinical priority.”
There is no single cause behind the increase in demand. Winter workload generally reflects a combination of seasonal respiratory illness, exacerbations of existing health conditions, injuries and other emergencies, with normal urgent demand continuing alongside the seasonal increase. The most common reasons for requesting an ambulance over the past two weeks have included referrals from health practitioners, chest pain, breathing problems, falls, fever, infections, and other illnesses.
This continued pressure is being felt across every part of the ambulance service, from staff in the Integrated Communications Centre to those on the frontline.
“Our emergency call handlers, dispatchers, clinicians and ambulance personnel are working extremely hard through a sustained period of exceptional demand. Please be kind and respectful, whether you are speaking with them on the phone or receiving care in person,” adds Mr Gallagher.
Hato Hone St John continues to work closely with Health New Zealand and other health sector partners to manage demand, maintain patient safety and support patient flow.
The major incident declaration will be reviewed regularly against demand, ambulance availability, and wider health system conditions.
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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.
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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