❓ Question regarding ambulance availability in Bunbury after an ambulance from Australind responded to an accident in Gelorup. The response details rostering practices and resource allocation across the region.
AnsweredQoN 829Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
AMBULANCE
SERVICES — BUNBURY
829. Hon SALLY TALBOT to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the accident, on 7 November, of the ambulance that
was travelling from Australind.
(1) Can the minister confirm that the ambulance was
responding to an accident in Gelorup?
(2) Can the
minister also confirm that the reason the ambulance was required to attend was
because there was only one ambulance rostered in Bunbury that day and it was
attending other calls?
(3) If yes to (2), why was there only one ambulance rostered
in Bunbury?
SERVICES — BUNBURY
829. Hon SALLY TALBOT to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the accident, on 7 November, of the ambulance that
was travelling from Australind.
(1) Can the minister confirm that the ambulance was
responding to an accident in Gelorup?
(2) Can the
minister also confirm that the reason the ambulance was required to attend was
because there was only one ambulance rostered in Bunbury that day and it was
attending other calls?
(3) If yes to (2), why was there only one ambulance rostered
in Bunbury?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1) Yes.
(2) St John
Ambulance has advised the following. Yes, one ambulance was rostered on in
Bunbury on 7 November 2013. This rostered ambulance was tasked on another
priority call, a police operation. Although the Bunbury crew could have been
diverted to the Gelorup call, the Australind ambulance and paramedics were
closer and were therefore dispatched.
(3) St John
Ambulance has advised that ambulance rostering is based on maintaining
appropriate response times across the region, not only for Bunbury. All the
ambulances are utilised across the entire region as per the needs of the
situation on a case-by-case basis dependent on priority. Bunbury is surrounded
by numerous other ambulance sub-centres, such as Australind, Collie and
Busselton, which have career paramedics working alongside volunteers.
Volunteer-only ambulance sub-centres operate out of Capel, Boyanup, Brunswick
Junction and Harvey. St John Ambulance Bunbury also has a patient transfer crew
that operates seven days a week for non-urgent transport. The Perth-based
rescue helicopter was tasked to the Gelorup incident but was stood down as the
other ambulances from within the region were closer and were responding.
Bunbury residents were not left without an ambulance service and no adverse
incidents were reported in Bunbury as a result of this tasking.
question.
(1) Yes.
(2) St John
Ambulance has advised the following. Yes, one ambulance was rostered on in
Bunbury on 7 November 2013. This rostered ambulance was tasked on another
priority call, a police operation. Although the Bunbury crew could have been
diverted to the Gelorup call, the Australind ambulance and paramedics were
closer and were therefore dispatched.
(3) St John
Ambulance has advised that ambulance rostering is based on maintaining
appropriate response times across the region, not only for Bunbury. All the
ambulances are utilised across the entire region as per the needs of the
situation on a case-by-case basis dependent on priority. Bunbury is surrounded
by numerous other ambulance sub-centres, such as Australind, Collie and
Busselton, which have career paramedics working alongside volunteers.
Volunteer-only ambulance sub-centres operate out of Capel, Boyanup, Brunswick
Junction and Harvey. St John Ambulance Bunbury also has a patient transfer crew
that operates seven days a week for non-urgent transport. The Perth-based
rescue helicopter was tasked to the Gelorup incident but was stood down as the
other ambulances from within the region were closer and were responding.
Bunbury residents were not left without an ambulance service and no adverse
incidents were reported in Bunbury as a result of this tasking.
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