Record urgent calls and 97% patient satisfaction for Qld ambulances

Queensland ambulance officers responded to more than 600,000 urgent cases for assistance last financial year (2006-07) and maintained a 97% patient satisfaction rate, Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said.

Mr Roberts said the 601,556 code 1 and 2 calls were among a total of 816,556 calls responded to by the Queensland Ambulance Service in 2006-07.

“In total, Queensland Ambulance Service responded to another 70,000 calls in 2006-07 compared to the previous 12 months (2005-06), and it responded to almost twice as many calls compared to a decade ago (1996-97),” Mr Roberts said.

Mr Roberts said the increased number of urgent code 1 and code 2 calls highlighted the importance of the Queensland Government’s commitment of a` record budget of $404 million for the QAS, the budgeted appointment of 250 new ambulance officers and the purchase of 140 new vehicles this financial year (2007-08).

“A decade ago, the QAS responded to 236,812 code 1 and code 2 calls less than half the number in 2006-07. In other words, the QAS responded to the equivalent of 27 code 1 and 2 cases each hour in 1996-97 whereas they responded 68 each hour – or one each minute – last financial year,” Mr Roberts said.

“Despite the massive increase in workload, the percentage of code 1 cases responded to within 10 minutes was 66.9% last financial year, compared to 66% in 1996-97,” he said.

Mr Roberts said in addition patient satisfaction with QAS response services was 97% in 2006-07 compared to 94% a decade ago.”

Mr Roberts said the QAS responded to 50% of code 1 cases in eight minutes and 90% of cases in less than 17 minutes, better or comparable with the performance of interstate services according to the Report on Government Services.

“The Government is committed to an effective and efficient Queensland Ambulance Service. The record investment, the commitment to employing an extra 250 officers and buying 140 new vehicles demonstrate that commitment,” he said.

“The Government has also commissioned an audit of the QAS to better understand the reasons behind the increasing demand and how to best respond to that increased demand.”

Media contact: Kirby Anderson 0418 197 350