Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Some disturbing claim said made by erin Early, the head
of the United Voice Union, in relation to well some
jobs being held off. It is all part of the
discussion that we've been having in relation to the review
which was announced by the Northern Territory government yesterday. Now
joining us on the line right now is John Ambulance,
(00:20):
Director of Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good morning Andrew, and very good morning De Caatie.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
First off, what's your reaction to the announcement of an
independent structural review.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Oh, look, as we've said, we're more than happy to
have a review into the ambulance service. And I think
you know, from our perspective, we've been in discussions for
quite a while now with the Northern Territory Government and
MP Health around the needs for an ambulance service and
what's required to deliver the best care across the Northern Territory.
(00:54):
And you know, we think that the scope of the
review is actually really good because you know, it's going
to look at in all of the aspects and making
sure that we've got them and being provided the appropriate
funding to deliver the appropriate crews required for the Northern
Territory and the appropriate resources We've been advocating with to
the Northern Territory government for a while around our workload
(01:18):
and the demand and the pressure on our paramedics are
going up, and that you know, we've been pushing for
increased funding for further services and more resourcing, you know,
to to manage that workload, demand, the issues related to
hospital delays or ramping as it's known, and all of
those impacts that flow into our ability to respond out
(01:41):
to you know, the community at the time and need.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
So tell me, I mean, how tough is it right
now in terms of you know, the pressures on our workforce,
on your on your workforce.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Oh look, our paramedics here are going to work each
day and uh, you know, our being you know seen
basically from job to job, you know, based in and
around the resourcing and the accruing needs that we have,
you know, and if you look at across the Northern Territory,
you know, in terms of ambulance emergency ambulances, you know,
we have three in our springs. We have five in
(02:15):
dah and two in Catherine and one in Tenant Creek
and Nulumboi. You know that is that is the maximum
of emergency ambulance crews that are on twenty four hours
in those locations, and those crews are working incredibly hard,
going job to job and then obviously impacted on them
with all the other aspects in terms of the antisocial
behavior that we've seen towards our paramedics, the delays that
(02:39):
we're seeing at hospital, and the impacts that we have
on that we've you know, we reported yesterday that we've had,
you know, in the last three years of fifty two
percent increase in triple zero calls into our emergency communications center.
And those staff there are you know, doing a fabulous
job and as well as the parameds and road everyone's
doing a fabulous job each day getting out there and
serving and delivering the best scare they came to the
(03:01):
community in Northern Territory, and you know, we look forward
to hopefully this review identifying the future growth were needed
to deliver the quality chair that's needed to Territorium.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Andrew, there had been a claim made by Eron early
from the union just a couple of minutes ago that
some jobs are really being held off, that you know,
there's that In one instance, there was a Priority one
chest pain patient who'd been made to wait for seventeen minutes.
I think she'd seen. I mean, is that the situation here?
Are there jobs that are being held off?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Look at Erina with you know, and I heard the
claims from the union. We did review our dispatch and
response procedure earlier this year. We bought it in line
with what other ambulance services are doing across Australia. It
is in response to the fact that we had crews
running for twelve hours without a break and that's not
(03:53):
acceptable from a psychological welfare and the well being of
our paramedics. So we bought some rules in a round
about that at times we will look at for some
of those lower lower priority cases, you know, prioritizing in
effect the well being about our staff and giving them
(04:13):
a break rather than just always continuing to respond to cases.
We've had delays in responding to cases through not only
you know, the provision of breaks, but in terms of
the availability of our crews, the ability to get our
crews out of the hospital at times, and so we
are looking at those. But you know that the highest
(04:35):
priority cases, which is our Priority zero cases, we won't
delay a response in those, you know, those other sort
of type of cases that we go to, which are
the priority ones, which are lights and sirens. We you
know at times we'll do it, but we do that
now that we have a clinician in comms that listens
to the calls and calls back patients to reassess. We've
(04:56):
done a whole lot of work in terms of looking
at our cases retrospectively and out of those Priority one
cases that we go to which are triarched by our
emergency medical dispatches on our international program and matrix which triarchism,
which is very risk adverse and so we've hand a
(05:17):
lot of cases pushed up to Priority one. We've done
a lot of review into that, and we've found that
over ninety percent of our cases that when we respond
Priority one to when we get there, the patient is
actually minor injuries or quite stable. So we are looking
at how we can manage our resources. We're looking at
the and primarily focused on the well being of our
(05:38):
paramedics and making sure that we can get them to
get a break at times during their twelve hour shifts
and also at the end of the shift, prioritizing about
the fact that they can get back to their family
and get home. So you know, we're looking at those
types of things.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
But well, I mean it sounds like a juggle. It
sounds like a massive juggling to me. It sort of
sounds like that in some instances we have enough paramedics
and enough you know, like that, there's more funding required
to make sure that we do have adequate numbers.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
As I said before, Cadie, that's part of the reason
we're really excited about actually having this review. We've mem
you know, I've been in the territory as the director
now for four and a half years, and I've been
advocating for this period of time through to government about
each time around, you know, looking forward to the future
and the growth, and we've seen exceptional growth in the
last three to four years in terms of need for
(06:28):
ambulance response yep. And yet we haven't seen that flow
into the funding for ambulance crews. And so we're continuing
to advocate to that. We want to see that and
we see that, you know, that resourcing that's needed for
ambulance crews, the emergency medical dispatchers, the ability to train
our paramedics and provide them to the high quality care.
(06:49):
The territories expect and that we want to deliver.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
I'm fast running out of time, but I do want
to ask you. We've spoken a lot about assaults on paramedics.
How I mean, is that an ongoing concern and how
is the staff morale as a result of that.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, Look, unfortunately, Katie, I'd love to have to say
it's getting better, but you know, we're still finding that.
You know, we're having our paramedics being assaulted and that
includes things such as you know, blood splashes and you know,
spitting and a number of things. So it's not just
the physical violence. It is that sort of risk of exposure.
(07:27):
And unfortunately, and we are following through with a number
of these at the moment where we are you know,
supporting our staff to use the legislation to take it
into the courts. I will say that, unfortunately, we've had
a number of cases that have progressed into the courts
and we haven't had the positive results that probably back
up that sort of will trust to do it. But
(07:48):
you know, we get we get around and we rally
behind our staff. We provide them with the support at
the time and then the ongoing support and that goes
right back through to the fact that you know, providing
that education and training to all of our paramedics in
terms of the escalation of situations and really about taking
the welfare and the well being of our paramedics as
(08:10):
our highest priority.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Andrew, we are going to have to leave it there.
I always appreciate your time. Thank you very much for
having a chat with us this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
No, thank you very much, Carti, thank you.
Some disturbing claim said made by erin Early, the head
of the United Voice Union, in relation to well some
jobs being held off. It is all part of the
discussion that we've been having in relation to the review
which was announced by the Northern Territory government yesterday. Now
joining us on the line right now is John Ambulance,
(00:20):
Director of Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good morning Andrew, and very good morning De Caatie.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
First off, what's your reaction to the announcement of an
independent structural review.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Oh, look, as we've said, we're more than happy to
have a review into the ambulance service. And I think
you know, from our perspective, we've been in discussions for
quite a while now with the Northern Territory Government and
MP Health around the needs for an ambulance service and
what's required to deliver the best care across the Northern Territory.
(00:54):
And you know, we think that the scope of the
review is actually really good because you know, it's going
to look at in all of the aspects and making
sure that we've got them and being provided the appropriate
funding to deliver the appropriate crews required for the Northern
Territory and the appropriate resources We've been advocating with to
the Northern Territory government for a while around our workload
(01:18):
and the demand and the pressure on our paramedics are
going up, and that you know, we've been pushing for
increased funding for further services and more resourcing, you know,
to to manage that workload, demand, the issues related to
hospital delays or ramping as it's known, and all of
those impacts that flow into our ability to respond out
(01:41):
to you know, the community at the time and need.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
So tell me, I mean, how tough is it right
now in terms of you know, the pressures on our workforce,
on your on your workforce.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Oh look, our paramedics here are going to work each
day and uh, you know, our being you know seen
basically from job to job, you know, based in and
around the resourcing and the accruing needs that we have,
you know, and if you look at across the Northern Territory,
you know, in terms of ambulance emergency ambulances, you know,
we have three in our springs. We have five in
(02:15):
dah and two in Catherine and one in Tenant Creek
and Nulumboi. You know that is that is the maximum
of emergency ambulance crews that are on twenty four hours
in those locations, and those crews are working incredibly hard,
going job to job and then obviously impacted on them
with all the other aspects in terms of the antisocial
behavior that we've seen towards our paramedics, the delays that
(02:39):
we're seeing at hospital, and the impacts that we have
on that we've you know, we reported yesterday that we've had,
you know, in the last three years of fifty two
percent increase in triple zero calls into our emergency communications center.
And those staff there are you know, doing a fabulous
job and as well as the parameds and road everyone's
doing a fabulous job each day getting out there and
serving and delivering the best scare they came to the
(03:01):
community in Northern Territory, and you know, we look forward
to hopefully this review identifying the future growth were needed
to deliver the quality chair that's needed to Territorium.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Andrew, there had been a claim made by Eron early
from the union just a couple of minutes ago that
some jobs are really being held off, that you know,
there's that In one instance, there was a Priority one
chest pain patient who'd been made to wait for seventeen minutes.
I think she'd seen. I mean, is that the situation here?
Are there jobs that are being held off?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Look at Erina with you know, and I heard the
claims from the union. We did review our dispatch and
response procedure earlier this year. We bought it in line
with what other ambulance services are doing across Australia. It
is in response to the fact that we had crews
running for twelve hours without a break and that's not
(03:53):
acceptable from a psychological welfare and the well being of
our paramedics. So we bought some rules in a round
about that at times we will look at for some
of those lower lower priority cases, you know, prioritizing in
effect the well being about our staff and giving them
(04:13):
a break rather than just always continuing to respond to cases.
We've had delays in responding to cases through not only
you know, the provision of breaks, but in terms of
the availability of our crews, the ability to get our
crews out of the hospital at times, and so we
are looking at those. But you know that the highest
(04:35):
priority cases, which is our Priority zero cases, we won't
delay a response in those, you know, those other sort
of type of cases that we go to, which are
the priority ones, which are lights and sirens. We you
know at times we'll do it, but we do that
now that we have a clinician in comms that listens
to the calls and calls back patients to reassess. We've
(04:56):
done a whole lot of work in terms of looking
at our cases retrospectively and out of those Priority one
cases that we go to which are triarched by our
emergency medical dispatches on our international program and matrix which triarchism,
which is very risk adverse and so we've hand a
(05:17):
lot of cases pushed up to Priority one. We've done
a lot of review into that, and we've found that
over ninety percent of our cases that when we respond
Priority one to when we get there, the patient is
actually minor injuries or quite stable. So we are looking
at how we can manage our resources. We're looking at
the and primarily focused on the well being of our
(05:38):
paramedics and making sure that we can get them to
get a break at times during their twelve hour shifts
and also at the end of the shift, prioritizing about
the fact that they can get back to their family
and get home. So you know, we're looking at those
types of things.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
But well, I mean it sounds like a juggle. It
sounds like a massive juggling to me. It sort of
sounds like that in some instances we have enough paramedics
and enough you know, like that, there's more funding required
to make sure that we do have adequate numbers.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
As I said before, Cadie, that's part of the reason
we're really excited about actually having this review. We've mem
you know, I've been in the territory as the director
now for four and a half years, and I've been
advocating for this period of time through to government about
each time around, you know, looking forward to the future
and the growth, and we've seen exceptional growth in the
last three to four years in terms of need for
(06:28):
ambulance response yep. And yet we haven't seen that flow
into the funding for ambulance crews. And so we're continuing
to advocate to that. We want to see that and
we see that, you know, that resourcing that's needed for
ambulance crews, the emergency medical dispatchers, the ability to train
our paramedics and provide them to the high quality care.
(06:49):
The territories expect and that we want to deliver.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
I'm fast running out of time, but I do want
to ask you. We've spoken a lot about assaults on paramedics.
How I mean, is that an ongoing concern and how
is the staff morale as a result of that.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Yeah, Look, unfortunately, Katie, I'd love to have to say
it's getting better, but you know, we're still finding that.
You know, we're having our paramedics being assaulted and that
includes things such as you know, blood splashes and you know,
spitting and a number of things. So it's not just
the physical violence. It is that sort of risk of exposure.
(07:27):
And unfortunately, and we are following through with a number
of these at the moment where we are you know,
supporting our staff to use the legislation to take it
into the courts. I will say that, unfortunately, we've had
a number of cases that have progressed into the courts
and we haven't had the positive results that probably back
up that sort of will trust to do it. But
(07:48):
you know, we get we get around and we rally
behind our staff. We provide them with the support at
the time and then the ongoing support and that goes
right back through to the fact that you know, providing
that education and training to all of our paramedics in
terms of the escalation of situations and really about taking
the welfare and the well being of our paramedics as
(08:10):
our highest priority.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Andrew, we are going to have to leave it there.
I always appreciate your time. Thank you very much for
having a chat with us this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
No, thank you very much, Carti, thank you.
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