St John activates major incident response after record number of 111 calls

Hato Hone St John has activated its major incident response after receiving more than 2500 calls on Saturday – its busiest single day on record.

The ambulance service received 2562 calls through 111 on August 8 – much higher than a normal day of around 1900 calls.

It was the third time the daily record had been broken this week, Hato Hone St John director of ambulance operations Doug Gallagher said, with 2404 calls received on Monday and 2454 calls on Thursday.

Demand was expected to remain high on Monday – traditionally the busiest day for ambulance workload.

"All three days were busier than any recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic or on traditionally high-volume dates such as New Year's Eve. At the peak, emergency call handlers were answering a call every 20 seconds," Gallagher said.

The ambulance service received 15,268 calls this week as of 2pm on Sunday.

It was on track to exceed the previous weekly record of 15,289 calls, set last week between July 27 and August 2. The week had broken the previous record of 14,984 calls, set between August 25 and 31 last year.

Gallagher said Saturday was “not normally our busiest day, so this level of demand is highly unusual”.

"Our emergency ambulance staff are continuing to respond effectively, but the workload is not showing the signs of easing that we would normally expect over a weekend," he said.

"With demand remaining high and Mondays typically bringing the greatest workload, we are preparing for further pressure."

Hato Hone St John has declared a major incident and activated its Emergency Operations Centre to strengthen national coordination and ensure all reasonable steps were being taken to maintain a safe response.

“This is an early and precautionary decision to help us continue providing safe and effective care during an unprecedented period of demand,” Gallagher said.

"We want to reassure people that emergency ambulance help remains available, and we are continuing to respond to those who need us."

Activating the major incident response gives Hato Hone St John a clear national structure for coordinating decisions and resources at pace, Gallagher said. The Emergency Operations Centre would bring operational, clinical and support teams together to maintain a detailed national view of demand and ambulance availability, monitor risk and take further action as conditions change.

It also supported closer coordination with Health New Zealand and hospital partners.

Gallagher said St John’s first priority was patient safety.

"Ambulance staff continue to prioritise people with life-threatening and time-critical conditions," he said.

"People should call 111 immediately when someone is seriously ill or injured or there is an immediate threat to life."

During exceptional demand, St John warned some patients with less urgent conditions may wait longer than usual. If someone’s condition becomes more serious after calling 111, they should call again and provide an update, he said.

When it iss clinically safe and appropriate, a person calling 111 may receive advice from a clinician or support to access another healthcare service rather than an ambulance response.

Ambulance personnel may also assess and treat suitable patients at home, refer them to another provider or help them access care somewhere other than an emergency department.

"These are clinically led decisions based on the individual patient’s condition and needs. They are about providing the right care, at the right time and in the right place," Gallagher said.

Hato Hone St John encouraged people with non-emergency health concerns to seek advice early and check which services were available locally.

Options may include a GP, Health New Zealand’s online GP care service, a pharmacist, an urgent-care provider or Healthline on 0800 611 116.

People were advised to check availability, opening hours and waiting times before travelling and should not delay calling 111 in an emergency.

St John was working closely with Health NZ and other health sector partners to manage demand, maintain patient safety and support patient flow.

The major incident arrangements would be reviewed regularly against current demand, ambulance availability and wider health-system conditions.