Darwin Ambulance Service Reaches Critical Capacity

St John Ambulance Northern Territory (NT) in Darwin declared "operational capacity white" shortly after midnight, indicating a critical system failure where service demand could not be met. This status implies a high likelihood of harm to patients and staff, and significant risk to service continuity.

Service Disruptions and Patient Impact

Between midnight and 7 am, 144 Triple Zero (000) calls were received from Darwin and Palmerston, with 61 calls abandoned. An abandoned call means it was not answered within 10 seconds and reverted to Telstra.

During this period:

• 14 priority one (life-threatening) cases were not attended within the required 15 minutes, with one patient waiting over five hours.
• 15 priority two cases (potential risk to life) remained outstanding.

St John's chief executive, Abigail Trewin, reported that while no fatalities occurred, patient conditions deteriorated during the delays. One patient's condition worsened, leading them to stop breathing while awaiting ambulance arrival.

Operational Challenges

Ambulance crews experienced delays exceeding 60 minutes offloading patients at Royal Darwin Hospital. One ambulance crew operated for almost 10 hours without a break. Darwin and Palmerston are serviced by five ambulances.

Ms. Trewin advised Territorians to only call Triple Zero for emergencies and to consider self-transport to a doctor or hospital if their condition allows. She stated that under current funding and service arrangements, St John NT cannot guarantee meeting all service needs due to increasing demand.

Alice Springs Situation

In Alice Springs, where St John operates two ambulances, a paramedic was assaulted by a patient and required treatment. This incident reduced operational capacity, resulting in a "code red" from just after 2 am.

Between 6 pm and 7 am in Alice Springs, 14 priority one emergencies were outstanding, including five that waited over one hour for a response between 2 am and 7 am.

Government Response

NT Health Minister Steve Edgington acknowledged the situation. He stated that the government is committed to addressing growing demand and providing long-term certainty in ambulance contracts. He also noted that additional resources and support staff have been provided to St John, and NT Health has been directed to collaborate across the health system.