Editorial: St John needs more funding

FILE

In a modern society it does seem a little strange that one of our key, essential, emergency services is a charity that relies heavily on donations and volunteers.

Yesterday we reported on the plight of the Rotorua St John Ambulance, which has to find $3 million for a "massive rebuild" of its ageing premises.

It was to be demolished with the planned Victoria arterial route running through its location, but with the bypass scrapped last month it was back to the drawing board for St John. With the arterial route forcing a move, there would have been Government money available for a new building in a new location, but that funding is now off the table.

St John has a huge remit nationwide. It deals with about 400,000 patients every year. St John says its vehicles attend 330,000 emergency incidents every year. It has more than 600 operational vehicles and 205 ambulance stations.

It's not a cheap operation to run. Contracts with the Ministry of Health, District Health Boards and ACC fund nearly 80 per cent of its operating costs. St John says the shortfall is made up of community donations, fundraising, part-charging patients and commercial activities.

This may get them by from day to day (though the ambulance workers' union has called for a major increase in funding) but what about huge one-off costs like a decent new base?

Is it unreasonable to expect our emergency services to be able to operate out of suitable facilities?

Earlier this year, then Health Minister Tony Ryall was reported as saying the funding model was working and would not be changed.

In other countries like Australia and the UK ambulances are fully funded by the state.

As an emergency service and an integral part of our health system, why should our ambulance service provider be forced to go cap in hand in order to function?