SA AMBULANCE SERVICE

127 Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (17 July 2012). With respect to 2012-13 Budget Paper 4, vol. 3, p. 62—

1. The SA Ambulance Service budget line details an increase in expenses from $178 million in 2011-12 to $187 million in 2012-13, are there enough ambulance crews to service public need and if so, why are trainers and managers being called out to respond to emergencies?

2. What is the Motorbike Response Unit trial, how much does it costs and what are its objectives?

3. What is the 'out of hospital service delivery model', how much is being spent and what are its objectives?

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

1. SA Ambulance Service has some of the best response times nationally.

The practice of managers and trainers filling a shortfall is business-as-usual procedure. These staff members are highly skilled clinical experts, usually to an intensive care paramedic level, who are fully equipped with a medical kit and marked car. It is part of their job description to be available to respond to emergency cases in periods of high workload.

2. The Motorbike Response Unit trial will test the advantage of adding motorbikes to SA Ambulance Service's increasingly diverse fleet of ambulance vehicles to determine whether motorbike paramedics can get life-saving treatment to patients more quickly in congested traffic areas.

Highly trained intensive care paramedics, who have undergone specialised riding training, utilise two marked, purpose-fit motorbikes to deliver emergency response.

Funding for the Motorbike Response Unit trial totalled $94,000 for purchase of equipment, motorcycles and training. This research initiative was funded by the SA Ambulance Service Development Fund trust account, which is from bequeathed and donated funds to the service. This account is specifically for the betterment of ambulance service delivery initiatives that are outside of existing core service modelling.

3. SA Ambulance Service's Extended Care Paramedic program supports the government's strategy to manage increasing demands on hospital emergency departments by providing specialist paramedics who can administer patient treatment at a patient's place of residence.

Extended Care Paramedics are highly qualified to assess, treat and arrange ongoing care through referral for patients who can be safely managed outside of a traditional hospital assessment and treatment environment.

The program, established in 2008, has been particularly effective for South Australia's elderly and those living in residential care facilities, who can now be treated by an Extended Care Paramedic at home. In 2011-12, 805 of the 1,102 patients in residential care managed by an Extended Care Paramedic did not require transport to hospital (73.6 per cent).

Program funding of just over $2 million, under SA Health's response to the Federal Government's Every Patient Every Service policy, was provided in 2011-12, with further funding committed in 2013 and 2014. This funding was approved to continue and extend the Extended Care Paramedic program.