Wellington Free Ambulance has established a number of action and business plans, aimed at modernization and continuing to improve the level of services delivered to our patients.

The plans include the following, with updates in progress as at 1 July 2007:

Connecting all ambulance stations electronically to enhance staff communication.  Achieved in 2006 where all staff now have e-mail and Internet access from ambulance stations.  An Intranet has also been developed;

Investigate electronic health records to enhance data capture and analyze patient outcomes.  Work in progress during 2007, when a working party of key internal stakeholders will be established to initiate a project and engage with potential external stakeholders such as ACC, MoH and primary healthcare providers;

Improve community access to early defibrillation in cardiac arrest by closer working relationship with the New Zealand Fire Service in Wellington.  Achieved in 2005 and continuing to build the relationship between two essential emergency service providers.   In 2006 the introduction of the new CPR guidelines realised community cardiac arrests being managed far more effectively, with more patient’s being transported to the Emergency Department with return of spontaneous circulation. In 2007 the WFA has been working with the NZ Resuscitation Council to allow us access to the national cardiac arrest database. This will mean that the national data base will capture pre hospital resuscitation data. Additional data fields have been agreed to allow the capture of ambulance data and allow for a more accurate picture of patient outcomes;

Separate the non-emergency ambulance transfer service from emergency ambulance transport so emergency ambulances are waiting for calls rather than calls waiting for ambulances. Work in progress in 2007 has already seen improvements to the booking process for non emergency transfers coupled with an increase in resources from 2 to 4 patient transport ambulances - these two initiatives have seen the percentage of patient transfers undertaken by our patient transport ambulances rise from 50% to 70%. In addition to this WFA are working with our District Health Boards to better understand and manage our non emergency transport demand;

The WFA has a key strategic objective to work with key stakeholders in the provision of primary care and position the ambulance service as the portal to health care. Early identification and engagement with the appropriate primary health care providers has begun and continues through 2007;

Assisting with the implementation of the Ambulance Communications Project in New Zealand.  This was achieved in June 2007, where WFA entered a joint venture with St John New Zealand to provide Emergency Ambulance Communications Centre services from Central Comm based in Wellington.

Investigate opportunities to register ambulance paramedics as health care professionals.  Work in progress with the Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act as a potential legislative framework now available in New Zealand.  Target date for paramedic registration is now 2009.

Aim to have an emergency ambulance at 75% of life threatening emergencies within 8 minutes.  This continues to be a future goal where service performance is closely linked to clinical outcome for our patients.

The WFA has a key strategic objective to work with key stakeholders in the provision of primary care and position the ambulance service as the portal to health care. Early identification and engagement with the appropriate primary health care providers has begun and continues through 2007.

 

Trends established

In facing the challenges of the future Wellington Free Ambulance is working within a regional picture that has seen:

Rising demand for emergency ambulances reflected in increased ‘111’ activity.

Rising patient expectations as people expect a world-class ambulance service tailored to meet their individual needs.

Rising staff and patient expectations as Wellington Free Ambulance strive to provide safe crewing of emergency ambulances.

Rising constraints on capacity to respond to emergencies and finances, which necessitates us to operate more efficiently and effectively - not simply doing more and more of what we have always done in the past, but questioning how improvements will be funded in the future in more innovative ways.

Wellington Free Ambulance leadership and staff have been shaping the way paramedical ambulance services have been delivered free to the patient in emergencies for Wellingtonians since 1927. The aim of the emergency ambulance service is to remain free to the patient in emergencies, through contracts with the Crown, income generating activities and the charitable funds donated by the community we serve.