St John will no longer be providing intensive care paramedics to rescue helicopter services in the Top of the South, allowing the company that operates the service to employ their own paramedics directly.
Early last year, St John Ambulance requested feedback from its air ambulance service partners on a proposal not to renew existing contracts to supply intensive care paramedics to rescue helicopter providers from October 2022, when the current contract expires.
St John Nelson-Marlborough area operations manager, Anne-Maree Harris, says following the consultation period between St John and GCH Aviation – who operate the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter, both parties agreed and confirmed that St John will not be extending or renewing existing contracts.
This means from 28 March, GCH Aviation will employ flight medics directly.
“St John's decision follows consideration for how the flight medic role has become increasingly specialised, while each organisation operates differing roster systems and fatigue management requirements along with varying processes, equipment, and governance,” Anne-Maree says.
St John Ambulance currently provides four full-time equivalent flight medics, and there has been a long tradition of partnership between the two services across Te Tauihu.
“Both St John and GCH Aviation are confident this is a positive move and that the change can be done safely and without impacting the delivery of emergency ambulance services to the public.”
Previously St John provided flight medics in the central North Island, and now they are employed directly by air providers with the transition occurring without interruption to the provision of ambulance services.
A St John spokesperson says GCH Aviation’s Greymouth-based rescue helicopter successfully transitioned to using flight medics employed directly by GCH Aviation in February and that process has gone smoothly.
St John Ambulance is contracted jointly by the Ministry of Health and ACC to dispatch air ambulance services via the national Air Desk - a service that will continue.
GCH Aviation Nelson base manager, Ryan O’Rourke says both GCH Aviation and St John Ambulance are committed to a seamless transition and will continue to work closely together behind the scenes.
“This has been a collaborative process. Both organisations have an excellent relationship, underpinned by a long history of working together to ensure residents in the top of the south have access to, and receive, a high standard of care,” he says.
“We’re committed to Te Tauihu and our team in the region pride themselves on a high-level of continuity of care and service to our community.”
GCH Aviation’s Christchurch-based rescue helicopters will also transition to using flight medics employed directly by GCH Aviation on 28 March.
