ST JOHN NT
NEWSROOM

St John NT welcomes the announcement from the Chief Minister today of an additional $7.8 million to the Ambulance Service.

This funding directly reflects the increased demand placed on the delivery of our service.

As a small service St John NT is responding year on year to an increasing number of patients.  As indicated in this year’s Report on Government Services 2024 (ROGS) report, St John NT responded to the highest response rate in the nation, significantly higher than the national average.

Our Emergency Communication Centre has also experienced an increased demand with a 52% increase in Triple Zero (000) calls in the last five years.

St John NT CEO Andrew Tombs said that this outcome had been achieved following more than 18 months of discussion and negotiation with the Department of Health.

“St John NT has been operating the ambulance service in the NT for close to 50 years following the impact of Cyclone Tracy.

“We provide services to some of the most geographically diverse and remote parts of the country, with a population characterised with high levels of illness requiring emergency medical assistance.

“This funding provides for the costs in delivering the ambulance service in the current climate, including increased demand, hospital delays and the rising cost of consumables,” he said.

St John NT welcomes any external review of service levels, funding and appropriate accessibility to ambulance services across the Northern Territory as part of any contract renewal. 

“I am incredibly proud of our staff and what they achieve every day in a very challenging environment,” Mr Tombs said.

“We achieved a 99% ‘Very Satisfied’ rating from our patients in the 2023 Council of Ambulance Authority Patient Experience Survey. We remain dedicated to providing the highest level of care and safety of our patients and look forward to the future development of ambulance services in the Northern Territory.”