SA AMBULANCE SERVICE

79 Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (1 June 2010). What government measures are in place to assist the SA Ambulance Service to meet response time targets?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts): I am advised:

The Government provides support for a number of key initiatives, which assist the achievement of SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) response time targets.

These include the introduction of single paramedic response and intervention vehicles (SPRINT), the Extended Care Paramedic (ECP) program and the implementation of a new call triage system in 2008-09.

In 2009-10, SAAS expanded its ECP program and commenced introduction of Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technology.

SAAS has also started the first phase of a mobile data terminal program that will enable information to be passed to ambulance vehicles without requiring voice transmission. This measure will further reduce time from the call to dispatch cycle and is due for progressive roll out to 327 ambulance vehicles commencing in 2011.