Hato Hone St John continues to experience high demand for its emergency ambulance service, with 111 call volumes yesterday just under last Monday’s record.
On Monday 10 August 2,221 emergency calls came into ambulance via 111, below last Monday’s record of 2,404 calls (on 3 August), but above 2,107, the average number of 111 calls for an ambulance on a Monday in August last year, and well above the daily average of just over 1,900 calls.
”While we expect workload pressures to remain well above normal this week, we are hopeful demand will ease from last-week’s record-breaking levels,” says Stuart Cockburn, Hato Hone St John General Manager Ambulance Operations.
“Our ambulance personnel remain focussed on making sure patients receive the most appropriate care for their needs. Not all patients will receive an ambulance; they may receive clinical advice over the phone or a referral to another healthcare provider.
“We are asking people to continue to call 111 for life-threatening emergencies; this includes symptoms like chest pain, severe difficulty breathing, stroke-like symptoms, unconsciousness, or severe injury, but for non-urgent health concerns, we encourage people to explore alternative healthcare options that may be more appropriate for their needs.
“We also want to remind the public some patients may also wait longer than usual for an ambulance to arrive, and we appreciate your patience”, Mr Cockburn says.
Hato Hone St John is in close contact with Healthline and is working with the service to ensure people know where they can get appropriate healthcare advice and support.
“While Healthline is also experiencing high demand, they have an option for a callback. For people who don’t need help or advice right away, the Healthline team can call them,” Mr Cockburn says.
Visit www.healthy.org.nz to request a callback. Healthline is free and available 24/7.
“Despite the very high level of demand we are seeing, our ambulance personnel are doing an exceptional job, ensuring that those who call us receive the help they need,” Mr Cockburn adds.
“We are reminding the public again to please be kind and respect our ambulance staff, whether you’re on the phone to them, or they’re treating you in person. They are working incredibly hard under immense pressure.”
Horowhenua Hato Hone St John Health Shuttle
Need help getting to a medical appointment? We’re here to help.
Did you know our Hato Hone St John Health Shuttle helps people get to and from medical appointments across our community?
Our volunteer drivers can pick you up from Ōtaki and throughout Horowhenua, taking passengers to appointments in Levin, Palmerston North Hospital, and other approved medical destinations.
Whether it’s a specialist appointment, treatment or a check up, we’re here to help make getting there a little easier.
Our Health Shuttle is a koha based service, operated by a wonderful team of volunteers who are passionate about supporting our community.
To book your journey, please call 0800 589 630 at least 48 hours before your appointment. Our phone lines are open weekdays from 8.30am to 3pm.
A huge thank you to all of our incredible Health Shuttle volunteers who help keep our community connected to the care they need.