National rescue service revamp
Details of a big shake-up of rescue helicopter services across the country won’t be released until after the election.
That’s the view of Auckland’s Rescue Helicopter Trust chief executive Greg Barrows. Calls to rationalise the service, including amalgamating some of the 11 trusts to make them more efficient, ties in with a new major trauma policy to get patients to appropriate hospitals, rather than the closest, he says.
Due to terminate in March 2018, the Government has asked trusts to roll over contracts until October 2018, Barrow says.
Helicopters nationally are around 25 years or older. A longer tender period could see communities under pressure to fund newer helicopters.
Government contributes about half of operation costs nationally but it varies from region to region depending on the local communities’ ability to come up with funding. Buying helicopters and medical equipment comes entirely from donations/ sponsorships.
A strong population base sees Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust get less from Government but provide better services than other trusts including on board doctors.
Further north with a bigger area and much smaller population the Northland Emergency Services Trust receives about 70 per cent funding of operational costs, chief executive Paul Ahlers says.
The Government wants efficiencies and economic savings, Ahler says, but trusts run very tight ships already. The country gets very good value for money when compared with overseas operations, he says.
He welcomes a more integrated service but would also like more Government funding to take the heavy burden off local communities.
The uncertainty has already seen Kawau Islanders halt fundraising to establish a $25,000 GPS flight path between the helicopter site at Mechanics Bay, to Kawau Is and Auckland Hospital, until it is sorted out.
‘‘Westpac would likely need to update its helicopter fleet which would possibly negate the need for a dedicated Helicopter Rescue Path through improved software that comes with the latest helicopters,’’ Kawau Island residents and ratepayers association spokesman Andrew Fyfe says.