The ambulance service in the Northern Territory, St John NT, has reached its operational limits twice within a single week, raising concerns about its capacity to function effectively. The organization attributes this situation to ongoing under-resourcing, which it states places its operations at risk of a “critical failure point” on a constant basis.
Joseph Hathaway-Wilson, the director of St John NT, emphasized that the service is perilously close to experiencing a “critical system failure” almost every day. The organization, which is contracted by the government to deliver ambulance services throughout the territory, issued a second “code white” alert for the Darwin area on Friday morning, following a previous alert just days earlier.
During a period of high demand, six urgent medical cases were left waiting for up to 90 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. Additionally, some non-critical emergencies experienced delays exceeding six hours, according to Craig Garraway, the director of ambulance services at St John NT. He remarked, “We simply do not have the resources necessary to meet the demand.” Contributing factors included poor patient flow at the Royal Darwin Hospital and the suspension of a paramedic due to patient abuse, which compounded existing issues.
The recent alert followed the first operational capacity white, during which 61 emergency calls to Triple Zero (000) were abandoned, and one critical case waited over five hours for service. Garraway recognized that while the government had provided some additional resources after the first code white, it was insufficient to prevent a second occurrence of operational capacity issues. He expressed ongoing concerns, stating, “We are constantly on the brink of reaching OP-CAP White, yet we remain in OP-CAP Red.” St John NT currently operates only five full-time ambulances for the Darwin and Palmerston areas, underscoring the urgent need for both immediate and long-term resource increases.
In conjunction with these challenges, St John NT’s chief executive, Abigail Trewyn, indicated that the service requires five new ambulances this year along with additional crews in the future to adequately meet the rising demand. She expressed optimism that the ongoing negotiations for a new full-time contract with the government might result in enhanced resources for the service. “While temporary measures can help during peak times, they are not sustainable solutions,” she noted.
Data from the Productivity Commission reveals that demand for ambulance services in the Northern Territory has nearly doubled over the past six years, increasing from 52,481 calls to 101,517 annually. During this same timeframe, the number of full-time ambulance personnel in the region has declined, falling below the national average.
Chris Hosking, the chief executive of the NT Department of Health, pointed out that a well-equipped ambulance service is crucial for everyone, as prolonged response times can add stress to emergency departments. He warned, “There’s always a risk that patients may deteriorate while waiting, especially in critical situations like cardiac events.” Fortunately, he noted, the region had not yet experienced such incidents during the recent peak periods, but the potential remains.
In a statement, Health Minister Steve Edgington confirmed that the government had extended additional resources to St John NT to help alleviate current strains as the organization approaches the expiration of its contract at the end of the year. “This allows time for St John and NT Health to explore long-term funding arrangements and ensure sustainability for the ambulance service,” he stated. However, he did not provide clarity on whether the government would renew the contract or significantly increase funding for the service in the upcoming budget.
