By MARTIN JOHNSTON
Ambulance services are considering more than halving the number of 111 communications centres which dispatch ambulances.
There are eight communications centres, but plans are being devised to reduce that to five, or even three.
One source said last night that when a small communications centre in Whangarei was closed in the 1990s and its calls were diverted to Auckland, there were problems. Ambulances were sometimes delayed by a lack of local knowledge of travelling times in remote rural areas.
But Order of St John chief executive Jaimes Wood said eight was too many centres for New Zealand's population. A reduction would allow investment in better technology to improve safety.
He is part of a working group analysing the potential reduction.
The existing centres are in Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington, Masterton, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Five are run by the Order of St John, two by public hospitals - in New Plymouth and Masterton - and one by the Wellington Free Ambulance.
Ambulance Board chief executive John Ayling said ACC and the Health Ministry wanted to improve the co-ordination of ambulance services.
Asked about the risk of ambulances being sent to the wrong place because of centre staff not knowing distant street names, he said, "There's mapping software now that allows for greater precision in that area."
The police and the Fire Service at first experienced problems such as staff being misdirected when they each reduced to three communications centres and switched to a new computer system.
Improving the co-ordination of ambulance services was promised by ACC and the ministry in their announcement on Monday of a review of air ambulance services in Northland.
There is the possibility of double-ups now that two helicopters are doing work formerly done by one.
The North Air Rescue Trust, backed by the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust, is contracted to ACC.
The Northland Emergency Services Trust is contracted to the Northland District Health Board.
The problem arose after ACC dumped Northland Emergency Services Trust as a provider.
Plan to cut back ambulance call centres
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