Associate Health Minister Casey Costello backs St John’s response to record 111 demand
The St John ambulance service’s response to record demand has been positive, with systems in place to meet the need, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello says.
Hato Hone St John announced a major incident response yesterday after it saw the highest volume of 111 calls on record over the past week.
Response times and treatment conditions will be affected over the coming days.
The ambulance service says it is conscious that today is the busiest of the week, as referrals from general practitioners come in.
Costello told Ryan Bridge TODAY the service has good structures in place to deal with the high volume of calls.
“This is a really positive move by St John’s to say ‘we’re stepping up, we’re putting systems in place to manage this peak’.
“Health New Zealand have advised that they’re still answering 91% of all the calls within 15 seconds. They’re managing this volume incredibly well.”
The major incident response did not relate to St John being in negotiations with Health New Zealand for a new contract, she said.
St John director of ambulance operations Doug Gallagher said people try to manage their chronic illnesses over the weekend.
“So people head to the GP on a Monday, and GP assessments find that people are a little bit sicker than what they thought, and we get referrals from general practice and from primary care.
“That’s what really drives the additional demand on a Monday,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking.
Yesterday, Gallagher said “sustained heavy demand” on the emergency ambulance service would have an impact on patients and the public.
Some people may wait longer than usual or may receive advice from a clinician or support to access another healthcare service, rather than an ambulance.
Demand is expected to remain high today, traditionally the busiest day for ambulance workload.
If someone’s condition becomes more serious after calling 111, St John has advised they should call again to update.
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.
On Saturday, 2562 calls for an ambulance went through 111 – the highest number received in a single day. A normal day would see around 1900 calls.
Gallagher says it is the third time the daily record has been broken this week, with 2404 calls received on Monday and 2454 calls on Thursday.
In the 2026 Budget, the Government announced a funding boost for two new Auckland ambulance hubs, more staff, upgraded technology and stronger frontline support.
The Government said it would provide $35 million over four years to strengthen road ambulance services and deliver immediate improvements for patients and frontline staff.