Maitland ambulance services are being stretched to dangerous levels with crews frequently sent out of the area and roster vacancies left unfilled, union officials said.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Rutherford, Beresfield, Kurri Kurri and Cessnock ambulance 24-hour crews respond to local jobs but are also sent to jobs near rural ambulance stations – such as Muswellbrook, Singleton and Dungog – between midnight and 8am to prevent Ambulance NSW having to pay the rural crew a call-out fee, Unions NSW spokeswoman Mary Yaager said.
Triple-0 calls are being prioritised as a result.
She said chest pains, shortness of breath, or a car accident were the only type of factors that guaranteed an ambulance response.
Michael and Paula Johnson, of Rutherford, phoned triple-0 on March 7 about 5.30am and requested an ambulance after Mrs Johnson awoke with severe dizziness and vomiting, but they were told she her symptoms did not warrant an ambulance.
Mr Johnson said the triple-0 operator transferred the call to a registered nurse to discuss Mrs Johnson’s condition and the nurse then transferred the call to a doctor, who told Mr Johnson to take his wife to Maitland Hospital.
Mr Johnson, who has a broken foot, drove his wife to the hospital, where she was rushed into the emergency department and underwent five hours of tests and treatment.
At the hospital he was told that there was only one Rutherford crew working in Maitland that night.
A NSW Ambulance Service spokesman said staffing levels were normal on the night of the incident and crew levels were adequate for the demand.
He said there were no plans to increase crew levels at the station.
But Mr Johnson said changes must be made before a life is lost.
“We didn’t know what was wrong with her, it could have been more serious, I could have been planning her funeral right now,” Mr Johnson said.
“She was scared and we didn’t know what was wrong with her; [the dizziness and vomiting] came on suddenly and we wanted help.”
Ms Yaager said the number of stations needed to be urgently increased to cater for Maitland’s growing population, especially in growth areas such as Branxton.
“The Rutherford crew is the closest to an incident in Branxton, which does not have an ambulance station, and with the number of people living there and more developments coming online, this demand for ambulance services is only going to get worse,” she said.
Health Services Union NSW secretary Gerard Hayes said paramedics faced the impact of stretched services in the Hunter almost every day and the system was at breaking point.
The NSW Ambulance services spokesman said Mr Johnson’s call was received at the Northern Control Centre, where the operator assessed the condition of the patient based on the information provided and it was determined she was eligible for secondary clinical triage by a registered nurse.
He said the triage ensured patients received advice for ongoing care or referral to specialised medical services or practitioners, and at any time during the call with the registered nurse the call could be transferred back to triple-0 if an ambulance was required.