“We have been working with our purchasers to secure additional funding to resolve outstanding bargaining claims.”
On the day of the strike, life-preserving measures would be in place and members of the public would still receive treatment.
St John said patients may be asked to self-transport to the hospital or a medical clinic if their call was not immediately life-threatening and it was considered safe.
Whanganui has two ambulances operating 24/7 through a day and night shift.
“Often when they have peaks they’re pulling an ambulance from Marton to cover,” Quin said.
Quin said Whanganui currently had adequate staffing levels but Ohakune and Taihape were struggling to recruit ambulance staff.
The St John spokesman said there were five paid paramedics in rural Ruapehu.
Quin said ambulances were being called more often for non-urgent problems.
“The reason we get overloaded is because the ambulance is used for everything.
“Even though it does cost to call an ambulance, the cost of a GP and booking an appointment may take weeks, so it’s easier.”
He said examples such as a person calling an ambulance because their toe was hurt and swollen were not uncommon.
“I’ve been called for: ‘I’m hungry’.
“Over 80% of the calls are low-acute and non-emergency.”
St John said three out of five patients who called Hato Hone St John may not need an immediate ambulance.
Quin said Whanganui and Raetihi had a higher level of people in lower socioeconomic areas and it was difficult for them to access affordable GP services.
Families without a car or money to pay for petrol could be put in a position where they had to call an ambulance instead of visiting a GP or the emergency department.
“There are a lot of reasons now that people call an ambulance which weren’t the case 20 years ago.
“We’re seeing a change because it’s the only medical resource in the area that people can access.”
Over the past decade, Hato Hone St John had a 54% surge in calls for help and a 26% increase in patients treated across Aotearoa, despite only a 17% increase in the population.
Accessing patients in rural areas was also a challenge.
“If someone has a farm accident and you can’t get a helicopter in, an ambulance has to do the whole job and it could take up to six hours.”
Health workers and ambulance staff were now being asked to respond to mental health call-outs due to police pulling back on their involvement.
Quin said it was difficult because ambulance staff did not have the same restraint powers or stab-proof vests as police.
He said acute mental health services were lacking.
For someone experiencing a mental health breakdown, the environment of a busy emergency department may not be appropriate, he said.
“You really want to lower the stimulus and de-escalate it; the emergency department is probably not the right area.”
St John said in the past decade it had reduced the number of patients transported to emergency departments from 75% to 55% – 60,000 fewer presentations each year.
During the strike, St John asks that for all non-emergencies people access health services from their GP, Healthline, pharmacy or urgent care clinic.
In an emergency, people should still dial 111.
Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.
