Hato Hone St John marks 140 years with record demand
Hato Hone St John has marked 140 years of service to Aotearoa New Zealand with one of its busiest years yet, supporting more than one million people and delivering faster, safer emergency care amid rising demand.
“In the past year, there were 688,378 emergency calls for an ambulance, and we treated or transported more than half a million patients, a sharp rise over the past decade,” says Chief Executive Peter Bradley.“Despite increasing demand, performance has improved, with 91 per cent of 111 calls answered within 15 seconds and response times for the most critical incidents meeting or exceeding national targets.“Better coordination with hospitals and Health New Zealand has improved patient flow, while real-time monitoring, stronger clinical communications, and new escalation systems are getting ambulances to people faster.”
At the same time, the context in which these services are delivered is shifting. Half of all ambulance responses now involve people aged 65 or older, reflecting New Zealand’s growing and ageing population. Health needs are becoming increasingly complex and meeting them requires not only fast emergency response but also proactive, community-centred approaches.
Hato Hone St John clinicians, in its newly established Integrated Operations Centre and on the frontline, are increasingly helping patients access care at home or in the community through initiatives such as “See and Treat” and “Hear and Advise”, avoiding unnecessary emergency department presentations.These services complement Hato Hone St John’s fully self-funded Community Health programmes, which provide education and training, health shuttle transport, Telecare, and other vital support to people across the country.
Last year, 96,730 people completed a first aid or mental health first aid course, 110,102 tamariki learned lifesaving skills through St John in Schools, and more than 35,000 New Zealanders learned CPR through the annual Shocktober campaign.
“These initiatives give people the knowledge, skills, and confidence to act in a crisis, creating a ripple effect of safer, healthier, and more resilient communities.“
Recognised as one of New Zealand’s most trusted charities and brand, we are grateful for the generosity of New Zealanders and look forward to continued support with growing demand and rising costs.”
Hato Hone St John was also named one of New Zealand’s top five most attractive employers this year.
“My huge thanks to our team for their hard work and dedication in ensuring New Zealanders receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place. I also want to especially acknowledge the important work our more than 8,000 volunteers do across all our services, and particularly the vital role they play in rural areas.”
While celebrating the successes of the last year, Hato Hone St John is looking ahead with its new 10-year strategy – Manaaki Ora – focused on delivering enhanced health and wellbeing for all, efficiently and safely.
Amongst its focus areas are improving cardiac arrest survival and enhancing falls prevention and response.
A key priority for the organisation is to establish a sustainable funding model for its emergency ambulance service.
The 2024/25 Annual Report was formally presented at an event at Parliament today hosted by Associate Minister of Health Casey Costello. The event featured a panel discussion on the future of health, drawing insights from Deputy Chief Executive Dan Ohs, Deputy Clinical Director Elena Garcia, and Dr Will Reedy (Accenture) on global trends shaping ambulance care.
