Every year, we expect to experience a spike in 111 calls and demand on our emergency ambulance service as we head into the summer holiday season and New Year’s Eve.
This year, summer has come early for Hato Hone St John and our emergency ambulance service is experiencing higher than usual call volumes and demand for our lifesaving services.
In a typical day, our 111 call centre gets around 1,500 calls, with peaks of up to 2,000 calls during big events like New Year's Eve. Right now, the volume of calls is near our New Year's Eve peak – and set to grow further during the summer.
While our staff are prepared for a busy summer – there is some uncertainty as to what impact COVID-19 will have, as people reconnect and travel – and what impact that will have on emergency incident volumes.
Please help ease the pressure on our emergency ambulance service by only calling 111 in a medical emergency
In a medical emergency please call 111 for an ambulance. Our paramedics will respond as soon as possible to life-threatening and time critical emergencies.
If you’re at the beach, the bach or staying put this summer and feel unwell or need health advice – and it’s not an emergency – please contact Healthline (0800 611 116), your GP or local medical centre.
What will happen when you call 111
To find out what you can expect if you do need to call 111, watch this video.
Top summer safety tips
- Drive to the conditions, be patient, eliminate distractions and ensure everyone wears a safety belt in the car.
- If you venture to another part of the country, familiarise yourself with your location before you set off. Know your exact address in case you need to call for help.
- Find out where the closest medical centre or hospital emergency department is and be aware that you may have to travel a long way to access medical help in rural or remote areas.
- Take care around water, please wear life jackets when boating and supervise children at the beach or swimming pool.
- Be sun smart: Slip, slop, slap, and wrap!
- A pre-existing medical condition can quickly become an emergency if regular medicine isn’t available. Remember to stock up on your prescriptions before going on holiday.
- Hato Hone St John frontline ambulance personnel all too often attend incidents caused by too much alcohol. Drink responsibly this summer.
- Make sure little ones are not playing near the barbeque and that older children are playing safely. Find our top tips for treating burns here.
- Remember to keep batteries away from children to avoid swallowing. The battery can become lodged in the oesophagus with dangerous results. See our choking first aid advice here.
- Be prepared by travelling with a St John first aid kit and download the free Hato Hone St John CPR app here. You can also find first aid tips for common incidents in our first aid library here.
Enjoy your summer and stay safe New Zealand, we hope we don’t have to see you.