St John will raise its user charge for some ambulance callouts for the first time in more than seven years in response to increasing costs of running the emergency service.
From July 1, the charge will go up to $125 – an increase of $27.
This charge, known as a ‘part charge’, applies to patients who meet certain criteria – those who receive an ambulance attendance for a medical emergency such as a stroke, chest pain or difficulty breathing; and patients who are treated for accident-related injuries, such as broken bones or burns, which occurred more than 24 hours before the ambulance callout.
ACC will still cover accident-related injuries that require ambulance transport within 24 hours of the incident, and patients who receive telephone advice rather than a physical ambulance will also not be charged.
About 47% of all emergency ambulance callouts would result in the new part charge cost being applied.
Hato Hone St John chief executive Peter Bradley said the organisation had experienced “significant and sustained growth” in demand over the past decade.
“Over the past decade, emergency callouts have increased by an average of 6.1% annually. This increase is required to keep up with the rising cost of running the emergency ambulance service.
“The part charge increase is expected to generate additional revenue annually – and contribute towards supporting and sustaining the high-quality services our communities rely on.”
Bradley said the part charge was akin to other co-payments in the health sector such as GP visits, family planning, dental, and orthotic services.
St John acting deputy chief executive Jon Moores acknowledged the financial pressure many households faced and encouraged anyone concerned about the increase to get in touch to discuss options.
“Hato Hone St John also offers an annual ambulance membership option which is less than the cost of the part charge for a single callout.
“Most importantly, we want to reassure everyone — if you’re experiencing a medical emergency, please don’t hesitate to call 111 for an ambulance.”
St John provides emergency ambulance services to 90% of New Zealanders.
The actual cost of an ambulance attendance is more than $1000, Bradley said, and an increase in the part charge would better reflect the cost of service delivery.
“When considering the part charge increase, we conducted market research to carefully consider the potential effect, especially given the wider impact of cost-of-living increases on New Zealand households.”
The last increase in the charge occurred around seven years ago, with a $10 hike to $98.
Around 86% of St John’s funding for its emergency service comes from contracts with the Ministry of Health and ACC.
Last year the Government announced a $21m boost to St John’s funding, taking the total to nearly $357m for the 2024-25 financial year for emergency road ambulance and communication services.
