Latest news with #StJohnAmbulance
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
St John Ambulance WA records worst ambulance ramping figures for May
The Australian Medical Association has warned record levels of ambulance ramping could lead to increased deaths among patients waiting for emergency care, as Western Australia faces its worst flu season in at least three years. St John Ambulance data shows last month was the worst May on record for ambulance ramping, with patients spending 5,333 hours parked outside WA hospitals. Ramping occurs any time an ambulance spends more than 30 minutes waiting outside a hospital for their patient to be received. The previous record for May was 5,258 hours in 2022, at the tail-end of the COVID pandemic. During May last year, ambulances spent 4,837 hours ramped outside of hospitals. It comes as WA faces its worst flu season since at least 2022, which could put extra pressure on hospitals, with 6,983 influenza cases already reported to WA Health so far this year. Australian Medical Association WA president Michael Page said that was a concern for doctors. "We know that the longer a patient is waiting for emergency department care, the higher the chance of death," he said. "There's a lot of good international evidence about that and there's no reason to think things would be any different here." Dr Page attributed the issues to long-term pressures in the health system, most acutely a shortage of hospital beds and doctors and nurses. The main short-term solution, he said, was increasing WA's vaccination rates. Data from the Australian Immunisation Register shows Western Australia has the lowest flu vaccination rate of all states with only 19 per cent of sandgropers vaccinated this year. "That is a role for our new Preventative Health Minister, whose portfolio includes vaccination," Dr Page said. "So we would like to see strong action from government on researching the reasons that people are declining to be vaccinated and addressing those problems head on." The WA government has promised hundreds of millions of dollars to address ramping pressures, including expanding its Virtual Emergency Department program which aims to divert patients from EDs. Asked about the current level of ramping, Premier Roger Cook also pointed to election commitments to upgrade emergency departments at Royal Perth and Midland hospitals. "We continue to make sure that we grow hospital beds, and the staff that stand by them, so that's an important part of it," he said. "Ultimately we need better flow of patients, so that's one of the reasons we have our $100 million aged care support package. "And of course we want to make sure that we have a healthy population, which means that we need to continue to encourage the federal government to grow urgent care clinics and the opportunities to get primary care." Dr Page said while those measures would help, there was no avoiding the need to build more beds. "So building more ED beds might, in the short term, improve the EDs ability to see patients coming in through the front door, sure, but it doesn't solve the problem that patients are still waiting in our EDs for beds on the wards." Shadow Health Minister Libby Mettam said the issues showed the government had the wrong priorities and urged it to outline what its "surge plan" was to deal with increased demand. "The Cook Labor government need to outline that plan and outline how they will better support and incentivise our health workers to ensure we have the staff that we need, that there are reforms in place to better support our emergency departments," she said. "They need to make health a priority, they need to ensure that there is a surge plan ahead of winter and ensure that our emergency departments and our health services across the community have the support that they require to ensure lives will not be lost. Dr Page said he was unsure what a surge plan would look like. "Hospitals are routinely over 100 per cent capacity because the wards are full and there are patients waiting in corridors for proper ward beds," he said. "So where is surge capacity going to come from when you're running at over one hundred per cent capacity already?"
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Ambulance volunteers saddle up on e-bikes for Cork City Marathon
Life-saving first responders have deployed an e-bike rapid response medical unit in Cork for the first time — providing cover at this weekend's city marathon. As thousands of runners hit the streets on Sunday, St John Ambulance Cork volunteers saddled up on their new electric bikes, each equipped to carry up to 25kg of medical gear, including defibrillators, oxygen, and essential life-support tools, to help provide medical cover for event participants and spectators, along the route. The charity believes its eBike Cycle Response Unit is the first of its kind in Ireland. The unit comprises two electronically-assisted pedal cycles, or e-bikes which are designed to navigate urban environments with ease. The charity said the unit enhances its emergency medical response capability in the city by allowing its first aiders and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to navigate congested streets and get through large, crowded areas fast. CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB Ultimately, it allows them to reach casualties in areas inaccessible to traditional ambulances as quickly as possible to begin administering potentially life-saving treatment as soon as possible. Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Honore Kamegni with cycle responders Colin Desmond and Alan Barry from St John Ambulance with the new E-bikes donated to the voluntary ambulance service from Roca Sports in Fota Enterpirse Park in Carrigtwohill. Picture: Noel Sweeney It will be especially useful for big stadium games, for big music events, such as the summer concerts series starting in Virgin Media Park this week, and at Live at the Marquee later this month, and at other major public events, city parades or festivals. The unit was made possible thanks to financial support from a joint Cork City Council-HSE South West initiative, with contributions from local city councillors, and through sponsorship from Roca Sports, Eco-Bike, and Clearsphere. Alan Barry, a cycle responder and an EMT with St John Ambulance Cork City, described the e-bikes as 'a game-changer for the group', especially on Leeside with its hills and narrow streets. 'They enable us to get to patients faster in busy urban settings and at large events where access by ambulance can be difficult,' he said. We're looking forward to seeing the difference they'll make at events like the Cork City Marathon, match days at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, concerts, and public gatherings such as the St Patrick's Day parade in Cork City Centre Megan Butler, the divisional manager for St John Ambulance Cork City, said the charity has also sought to adapt and equip its volunteers with the best of equipment. 'The introduction of e-bikes represents a natural and exciting progression in how we adapt to the evolving needs of our communities and members,' she said. 'Equipping our cycle responders with the best tools possible ensures we can deliver the highest standard of care. 'At St John Ambulance Cork City, our dedicated volunteers work tirelessly, often in demanding situations, to provide vital support and emergency assistance. 'Providing them with innovative equipment like these e-bikes helps us enhance their ability to respond quickly and effectively, making a real difference in people's lives when it matters most.' St John Ambulance has been at the forefront of emergency medical services in Ireland since 1903 and has operated from a permanent base in Cork City since 1934. Its volunteers provide medical cover for large-scale public events, they assist the HSE, and they deliver first aid training to the public. Globally, St John Ambulance operates in 44 countries, supported by 160,000 volunteers and a fleet of over 10,000 ambulances.
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
As Dayaks mark Gawai, Sarawak St John Ambulance founder calls for peace in ‘uncertain and unpredictable world'
KUCHING, June 1 — Gawai Dayak has grown to become a powerful symbol of unity, hope, and aspiration for the Dayak community – the majority ethnic group in Sarawak. Datuk Seri Ang Lai Soon, founder of St John Ambulance Sarawak, noted that Gawai was originally celebrated at different times across various longhouses and villages, marking the end of a successful harvest. 'The ethnic Dayak community then decided to celebrate the event on one day; thus, it's celebrated by all as the most important day by all different Dayak groups. 'It is now one of Sarawak's important gazetted holidays,' he said in his Gawai Dayak message. Ang expressed pride in the Dayak community's achievements and their significant contributions to Malaysia's development and prosperity. However, he also reminded the public that the Covid-19 pandemic is 'still far from over.' 'Some global communities have decided 'to live with the virus' after the majority of the people have been fully vaccinated. 'Still, while we are reopening, I am sure that we will still continue to be careful and vigilant,' he said. Ang went on to lament the continued existence of wars, conflicts, and unrest in many parts of what he described as 'an uncertain and unpredictable world'. 'The people suffer untold miseries and sufferings, especially the most vulnerable: the poor, the sick, the children, the seniors and underprivileged. 'All countries should ideally consider devoting their funds, time and energy to make life safer, happier and more bearable for everyone in this rather difficult, troubled and tumultuous world, instead of production of lethal weapons, especially nuclear weapons with the capacity to destroy the human kind,' he said. He added that universal peace and happiness could be achieved if all nations committed to total disarmament. Trillions of dollars currently spent on arms could instead be used to improve living standards across the globe, he added. 'That will be the day to celebrate.' The universal day of peace Ang also highlighted global inflation and threatening famine caused by geopolitical tensions should be addressed immediately. The much feared climate change and its ill effects on humankind, flora and fauna and the environment is a monumental issue, he said. 'We see such ill-effects already even within our own country as torrential rains and serious floods seem to be occurring with greater frequency,' he said. Intense forest fires caused by prolonged droughts are affecting nations like the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia, and in the Philippines, typhoons continue to grow in intensity year after year, he said. 'As we celebrate another Gawai festival, let us be reminded again to celebrate in moderation. 'Both humans and Planet Earth must stay healthy for their own sake and that of future generations. 'God bless our people, God bless our country. 'Selamat Ari Gawai, Gayu Guru, Gerai Nyamai! Selamat hari Kaamatan.' — The Borneo Post
RNZ News
5 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Two critically injured in Port Waikato crash
Three people were injured in the crash, two critically. Photo: Supplied / St John Ambulance Three people were taken to hospital, two in a critical condition, after a crash in Port Waikato on Friday evening. St John said three ambulances were called to a single-vehicle crash on the Tuakau Bridge-Port Waikato Road about 6pm. A spokesperson said two people suffered critical injures and a third was seriously injured. It followed an earlier crash in Canterbury about 2.45pm on Friday in which one person died. That crash involved a truck and two cars at the intersection of Dawson and Newton roads in Templeton. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Sydney Morning Herald
28-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Met with brutal force': Thorpe demands answers after man dies in police custody in Alice Springs supermarket
Victorian independent senator Lidia Thorpe has described the death of a 24-year-old man in police custody at an Alice Springs supermarket as part of a brutal pattern of Indigenous people dying at the hands of police. The man was inside a Coles supermarket in central Alice Springs about 1.10pm (ACST) on Tuesday when he allegedly became involved in a scuffle with a security guard. The man was hungry and in need of care, Thorpe said, adding that he was a ward of the state and disabled. NT senator and Indigenous Affairs minister Malarndirri McCarthy called the man's death a 'shocking tragedy'. In a statement, Northern Territory Police said: 'Two police officers were in the store at the time of the incident and restrained the adult male. Loading 'A short time later, the man stopped breathing and CPR was commenced. St John Ambulance attended the scene, and the man was conveyed to Alice Springs Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased shortly after 2.20pm.' Major Crime Section detectives are investigating and will prepare a report for the NT coroner. In a press conference on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said security guards initially confronted the man as he was allegedly putting items down the front of his clothes.
