1. Healthcare

Steering Committee for the
Review of Government Service
Provision
F act she e t
Under embargo until 12.15 am, Friday 30 January 2015
For personal use only. Third parties should not be
approached until the embargo is lifted.
Report on Government Services 2015
FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES: AMBULANCE EVENTS
(CHAPTER 9)
This chapter reports on the performance of governments in providing emergency management
services provided in the event of fire and out of hospital medical emergency events. This factsheet
focuses on ambulance services for out of hospital medical emergency events.
• Ambulance events are incidents that result in demand for ambulance services. Ambulance
services include preparing for, providing and enhancing: emergency and non-emergency
pre-hospital and out-of-hospital patient care and transport; inter-hospital patient transport;
specialised rescue services; ambulance services to multi-casualty events; and capacity building for
emergencies (p. 9.39). Nationally, in 2013-14, there were 3.1 million incidents resulting in
4.2 million ambulance service responses to attend to 3.2 million patients (p. 9.41).
• Performance reporting for ambulance events includes information on ambulance service
organisations as the primary agencies involved in providing services for ambulance events.
Recurrent expenditure across Australia was approximately $2.7 billion (or $114 per person) in
2013-14 (p. 9.67). Nationally, there were 15 503 full time equivalent paid personnel,
5972 volunteers and 2456 community first responders in ambulance service organisations in
2013-14 (p. 9.41). (Community first responders are trained volunteers that provide an
emergency response (with no transport capacity) and first aid care before ambulance arrival.)
Objectives of emergency services for ambulance events
The objectives of government involvement in ambulance service to provide pre-hospital and
out-of-hospital care and patient transport services, that:
• are high quality, timely, and meet clients’ needs through delivery of coordinated and responsive
health care
• are equitable and accessible
• are effectively, efficiently and sustainably delivered
• reduce the adverse effects of emergency events on the community by providing specialised
medical care in emergency situations (p. 9.44).
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Performance indicators for ambulance events (figure 9.22, p. 9.45)
Response locations
p. 9.46
Equity
Availability of ambulance
officers/paramedics
p. 9.48
Access
Urban centre response
times
p. 9.51
State-wide response times
p. 9.55
Objectives
Access
PERFORMANCE
Triple zero call answering
time
p. 9.57
To be developed
Cardiac arrest
survived event
p. 9.70
Safety
Clinical incidents
Cardiac arrest survival
to hospital discharge
Clinical
Clinical interventions and
treatments
Appropriateness
Quality
Effectiveness
Responsiveness
Pain management
p. 9.72
Continuity of care
Continuity
Workforce by age group
p. 9.62
Staff attrition
p. 9.63
Sustainability
Level of patient
satisfaction
p. 9.74
Enrolments in paramedic
training
p. 9.64
Ambulance services
expenditure per person
p. 9.66
Efficiency
Expenditure per urgent
and non-urgent response
Key to indicators*
Outputs
Text
Outputs
Most recent data for all measures are comparable and complete
Text
Most recent data for at least one measure are comparable and complete
Text
Most recent data for all measures are either not comparable and/or not complete
Text
No data reported and/or no measures yet developed
Outcomes
Outcomes
* A description of the comparability and completeness of each measure is provided in indicator interpretation boxes
within the chapter
Background information:
Lawrence McDonald, Head of Secretariat
03 9653 2178 / 0421 584 905
Other information:
Media and Publications
03 9653 2244
Please do not approach other parties for comment before 30 January 2015.
This volume can be accessed via the Productivity Commission’s website on the morning of Friday 30 January 2015: www.pc.gov.au.
Hard copies of this volume will also be available for purchase via the Commission’s website.
Tables with a ‘9A’ prefix (eg table 9A.5) are in the attachments on the Review website.
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