Ambulances were called more than 90 times a day on average in Northland last year, according to newly released data. Photo / NZME
Rising demand for ambulances in Northland is being largely driven by the region’s ageing population, new data reveal.
Information provided by Hato Hone St John showed on an average day in the region last year, its ambulances were called more than 90 times.
Demand was up 22% since 2020 and 2% since 2024, with crews kept busy responding to more than 33,300 incidents Northland-wide.
The most common reason for calling 111 for an ambulance was referral from a health practitioner.
The second-most common was chest pain, third was falls and fourth was breathing problems. All three had experienced growth from the previous year.
Hato Hone St John Northland district operations manager Ben Lockie said the significant number of referrals from health practitioners reflected wider pressure across the health system.
“These pressures highlight the need for strong, well-integrated health and aged-care services so people can get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”
Meanwhile, call-outs involving chest pain and falls could point to the region’s increasingly ageing population.
“Older adults are more likely to experience medical events that require urgent care, and this is reflected in our most common callouts,” Lockie said.
“The Northland region has one of the fastest-ageing populations in the country, and this is a significant factor in the demand we’re seeing on the emergency ambulance service.”
People aged 65-plus make up 21.8% of the region’s population. Stats NZ population projections show that age group is expanding the fastest in Northland.
Nationwide, almost half of all ambulance responses last year involved people aged 65 and over. Northland was similar, Lockie said.
Those numbers matched concerns highlighted in a New Zealand Medical Journal editorial from last year, which cited how ageing and inequities were contributing to ambulance demand.
Lockie said falls remained a “major driver” of ambulance demand, often linked to mobility issues, frailty, and chronic health conditions.
Age Concern Mid-North manager Juen Duxfield said some of the demand could come from people not registered with doctors.
Newcomers to the region might not have enrolled in a clinic when they need healthcare.
Duxfield said callers could also be those living on their own.
“Lots of lonely people who live on their own who become anxious, and the first port of call is the ambulance.”
It could be they were worried about their chest pain and reached out, she said.
The high volumes of calls for chest pain and breathing problems pointed to demand from those living with long-term cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, Lockie said.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora’s emergency ambulance reports show incidents have continued to climb from 2023 to 2025, with demand last year at record levels.
Despite the rising number of calls, the response times for the most critical call-outs were meeting or exceeding national targets, Hato Hone St John said.
It did, however, mean that rising demand meant longer wait times for some patients whose conditions were not life-threatening, Lockie acknowledged.
“We understand how difficult and distressing this can be, but we need to prioritise our emergency vehicles for patients who are most unwell.”
Despite news that the most critical call-outs were meeting national targets, Workers First Union organiser Faye McCann said the targets were focused on a “time to respond” model rather than a positive patient outcome.
“Northland has increased difficulties with the geographical spread and how remote some communities are.
“Longer wait times, with some patients having no other option other than to wait for an ambulance arrival, is concerning.”
McCann believed that was why the current funding model for Hato Hone St John was not working.
Improvement in general healthcare access for rural communities was desired so that ambulances could be available for life-threatening emergencies, she said.
“Ambulance officers know that the workload is going to keep increasing and would like to see additional staffing and ambulances available to their communities to keep up with the demand.”
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora group manager ambulance David Richards said “significant and sustained investment” has been made in the emergency ambulance service alongside ACC.
Funding has increased from $288 million in 2021/22 to $454m in 2025/26, he said.
Such investment has allowed St John to introduce paid ambulance staff in Mangawhai, and the implementation of a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week service in Doubtless Bay later this year, Lockie said.
The Government had also announced $164m in funding over four years to implement the New and Improved Urgent and Afterhours Healthcare Framework, Richards said.
That recognised that primary care, access to an emergency ambulance, diagnostic tests, transport and medicines were all core components.
Lockie said St John welcomed measures that would make healthcare more accessible, like extended urgent care services in key locations.
“Which could help ease pressure on emergency ambulance services in Northland.”
Lockie encouraged people to seek care through other options where appropriate, “which helps ensure ambulances are free to respond as quickly as possible to those needing urgent, life-saving treatment”.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.