NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Single-person ambulances will go by 2021 but union still unhappy

Newstalk ZB
14 May, 2017 01:05 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Watch: Single-person ambulances will go by 2021
A $59.2 million boost will be delivered over four years to eliminate single crewing. ...
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
0:00
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
    • captions off, selected

      This is a modal window.

      Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

      Text
      Text Background
      Caption Area Background
      Font Size
      Text Edge Style
      Font Family

      End of dialog window.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

      How are storms affecting the Canterbury coastline?

      UP NEXT:

      Autoplay in
      2
      Disable Autoplay
      Cancel Video
      A $59.2 million boost will be delivered over four years to eliminate single crewing.
      NOW PLAYING • Watch: Single-person ambulances will go by 2021
      A $59.2 million boost will be delivered over four years to eliminate single crewing. ...

      Single-person ambulance call-outs will end in the next four years but a union representing the staff say the move is still not enough.

      Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says a $59.2 million boost will be delivered over four years to eliminate single crewing.

      It means call-outs normally attended by two ambulances will now be attended by one, consisting of at least one trained paramedic and an extra person who may be an "emergency medical assistant".

      St John, which runs ambulance services everywhere except Wellington, said the extra money would allow it to boost its paid ambulance staff by 420, or more than a third, from 1168 to 1588, plus an extra 10 staff in the Auckland control centre.

      The biggest increases will be in rural areas, where many call-outs are currently single-crewed.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      St John's central-west region, including the Waikato and Taranaki, will get 78 extra staff, followed by 69 in the central-south (Whanganui/Manawatu/Hawke's Bay), 65 in the central east (Bay of Plenty/Gisborne), 55 in Auckland (including control centre), 46 in Northland, 44 in Canterbury, 41 in Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast and 32 in Otago/Southland.

      "Ending single-crewing is one of the most significant developments in our ambulance service history," St John chief executive Peter Bradley said.

      "We will be able to recruit 430 frontline jobs over four years and provide rural New Zealand with the same crewing levels as urban areas; a move that will save more lives and make it safer for our crews."

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      Central-west operations manager Stuart Cockburn said the move would make a huge difference not just for patients but also for ambulance officers' safety.

      "I have been in fear of my safety before," Cockburn said.

      "I was responding to a cardiac event at a gang house. I was by myself doing CPR and trying to do everything I could. I had gang members standing there behind me saying, 'If your patient dies, you die.'

      "To have someone with me would make the job a heck of a lot easier and safer."

      Discover more

      New Zealand|politics

      Sick St John finances a risk for ambulances

      08 Dec 04:00 PM
      Watch: Paramedic wants to see ambulances better staffed
      Paramedic Sonia Usal thinks that today's announcement doesn't quite go far enough and she would like to see two clinically qualified people in every ambulance. ...
      Video Player is loading.
      Current Time 0:00
      /
      Duration 0:00
      Loaded: 0%
      0:00
      Stream Type LIVE
      Remaining Time -0:00
       
      1x
        • Chapters
        • descriptions off, selected
        • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
        • captions off, selected

          This is a modal window.

          Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

          Text
          Text Background
          Caption Area Background
          Font Size
          Text Edge Style
          Font Family

          End of dialog window.

          This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

          How are storms affecting the Canterbury coastline?

          UP NEXT:

          NOW PLAYING • Watch: Paramedic wants to see ambulances better staffed
          Paramedic Sonia Usal thinks that today's announcement doesn't quite go far enough and she would like to see two clinically qualified people in every ambulance. ...

          However Ambulance Professionals First, a branch of First Union representing more than 1000 paramedics, said about 300 of the new jobs would be for "emergency medical assistants" without adequate training.

          "Emergency medical assistants will receive just three weeks training and won't have the authority to practise without supervision," said spokeswoman Lynette Blacklaws.

          "In metropolitan areas ambulances are crewed with two qualified ambulance officers. This means they can care for multiple patients at a single incident, they can consult with each other and they have the benefit of a second opinion when making critical medical decisions in crisis situations," said Blacklaws.

          "We want to see that level of service right across the country, not just in the major population centres."

          A St John spokeswoman said the extra staff would include "emergency medical assistants (EMAs), emergency medical technicians, paramedics, intensive care paramedics and clinical control centre staff".

          "We don't know exactly how many of those new positions will be EMAs. We have just had the announcement and will work with communities and staff to determine what the right mix for each community is," she said.

          Advertisement
          Advertise with NZME.

          "Emergency medical assistants will undergo a minimum five-month training programme, starting with foundation ambulance education and culminating with EMA focused training."

          Coleman said $31.2m of the extra funding over four years would come from taxpayers via the health vote. The other $28 million will come from the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).

          ACC will also pay $192m in the next five years towards the recent $2 billion plan to raise caregivers' wages in aged care and disability services. Coleman said then that the pay deal could affect ACC levies.

          "ACC levies are set for the coming years, but may possibly increase over the next decade to support this," he said last month.

          St John said the changes would increase total state funding through Health and ACC from $139m in 2015-16 to $161.6m in 2017-18, raising state funding from 69 per cent to 74 per cent of ambulance costs.

          The other $55.7m (26 per cent of total costs) will still have to be raised through fundraising and fees charged to ambulance patients.

          Advertisement
          Advertise with NZME.
          Save

            Share this article

          Latest from New Zealand

          OpinionUpdated

          NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

          07 Jul 10:05 PM
          New ZealandUpdated

          Four injured in bus crash on Southland highway after reports of black ice

          07 Jul 09:52 PM
          Premium
          New Zealand

          $61m building project under way at one of nation's richest private schools

          07 Jul 09:00 PM

          From early mornings to easy living

          sponsored
          Advertisement
          Advertise with NZME.
          Recommended for you
          'Unique challenges': Billionaire-backed stadium bid pulled from race
          Auckland FC

          'Unique challenges': Billionaire-backed stadium bid pulled from race

          07 Jul 10:00 PM
          Four injured in bus crash on Southland highway after reports of black ice
          New Zealand

          Four injured in bus crash on Southland highway after reports of black ice

          07 Jul 09:52 PM
          Behind the scenes of a wild weather event
          Sponsored Stories

          Behind the scenes of a wild weather event

          07 Jul 09:52 PM
          Decade wait ends: Excavation begins at Tuam mass burial site
          World

          Decade wait ends: Excavation begins at Tuam mass burial site

          07 Jul 09:45 PM
          Veteran actor David Killick dies aged 87
          Entertainment

          Veteran actor David Killick dies aged 87

          07 Jul 09:40 PM

          Latest from New Zealand

          NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

          NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

          07 Jul 10:05 PM

          Want to have your say on our stories? Here's how.

          Four injured in bus crash on Southland highway after reports of black ice

          Four injured in bus crash on Southland highway after reports of black ice

          07 Jul 09:52 PM
          Premium
          $61m building project under way at one of nation's richest private schools

          $61m building project under way at one of nation's richest private schools

          07 Jul 09:00 PM
          Travel Tuesday with Lorna Riley

          Travel Tuesday with Lorna Riley

          Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
          sponsored

          Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

          NZ Herald
          • About NZ Herald
          • Meet the journalists
          • Newsletters
          • Classifieds
          • Help & support
          • Contact us
          • House rules
          • Privacy Policy
          • Terms of use
          • Competition terms & conditions
          • Our use of AI
          Subscriber Services
          • NZ Herald e-editions
          • Daily puzzles & quizzes
          • Manage your digital subscription
          • Manage your print subscription
          • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
          • Subscribe to Herald Premium
          • Gift a subscription
          • Subscriber FAQs
          • Subscription terms & conditions
          • Promotions and subscriber benefits
          NZME Network
          • The New Zealand Herald
          • The Northland Age
          • The Northern Advocate
          • Waikato Herald
          • Bay of Plenty Times
          • Rotorua Daily Post
          • Hawke's Bay Today
          • Whanganui Chronicle
          • Viva
          • NZ Listener
          • Newstalk ZB
          • BusinessDesk
          • OneRoof
          • Driven Car Guide
          • iHeart Radio
          • Restaurant Hub
          NZME
          • About NZME
          • NZME careers
          • Advertise with NZME
          • Digital self-service advertising
          • Book your classified ad
          • Photo sales
          • NZME Events
          • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
          All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
          Subscribe now

          All Access Weekly

          From $2 per week
          Pay just
          $15.75
          $2
          per week ongoing
          Subscribe now
          BEST VALUE

          All Access Annual

          Pay just
          $449
          $49
          per year ongoing
          Subscribe now
          Learn more
          30
          TOP
          search by queryly Advanced Search