North's ambulance call out fees to rise

The cost of calling an ambulance for medical reasons is set to rise by $4 because of an increasing demand for St John's services.

St John's part charges in Northland will increase from $61 to $65 on April 1.

The graduated price increase will see the cost rise to $75 in 2013 and $88 in 2014.

St John Northland operations manager Tony Devanney said they had been operating on a reduced price for so long and he was hesitant to see the price rise.

However, he said St John was operating in a deficit. St John was a charity that was struggling to meet costs.

Joining the St John Supporter Scheme was a cost effective option for those who used the service or wanted peace of mind in case they needed to.

The part charges apply to ambulance attendance and/or transport for medical emergencies, as well as accident-related injuries that are more than 24-hours old.

ACC will continue to cover the cost of ambulance transport for personal injury, as long as the callout is within 24-hours of the incident occurring and it meets their criteria.

In the year ending June 30 last year, nationwide St John patient numbers increased by more than 24,000, a 6.6 per cent increase.

The cost of one ambulance callout was about $680. Government agencies fund 80 per cent of St John's direct operating costs, with the remainder coming from community groups, fundraising and the part charges.

The three-year phased increase would bring all regions into line in 2014.