It was a tragedy that destroyed a young family, a horrific car accident, claiming the lives of two children on the New South Wales Central Coast.
One month on, disturbing allegations have emerged regarding the Ambulance Service of New South Wales’s immediate response to the incident – claims the body denies, saying they are unfair.
Emma Murphy reports.
Media Statement
NSW Ambulance extends its deepest condolences to the families of all the patients involved in this incident.
All motor vehicle crashes involving serious injury are traumatic and distressing to everyone involved, including the paramedics and other responding emergency service personnel. Those involving critical or fatal injuries to children are particularly heartbreaking. Criticism of our staff and their response and efforts to save the lives of those involved, without the full facts being known is unfair and likely to cause distress.
NSW Ambulance received a Triple Zero (000) call at 17.15.01 on April 4, 2015 to a motor vehicle collision at the Central Coast. Based on the information given to the call taker at the time of the first Triple Zero (000) call an appropriate emergency lights and sirens response was initiated. The first crew arrived on scene within 10 minutes. A second crew arrived 11 minutes after the first crew; followed quickly by more resources.
In total, NSW Ambulance responded paramedics in 11 ambulance vehicles and 2 helicopters crewed by specialist NSW Ambulance helicopter paramedics and doctors to this crash. In addition, a large number of other emergency service personnel were on scene assisting. All responding NSW Ambulance paramedics were highly qualified and experienced, including the qualified paramedic employed by NSW Ambulance for more than a decade who is now a casual employee.
NSW Ambulance paramedics are highly clinically trained and make the most appropriate decision regarding the immediate care of a patient to increase their chances of survival.
In cases of multiple patients, first on scene paramedics will triage patients according to their clinical need, providing immediate treatment to the most ill or injured, as was the case in this incident.
To ensure a patient has the best chance of survival, NSW Ambulance training and protocols allow an approved non-clinical, non-ambulance person to drive the vehicle so paramedics can continue to deliver lifesaving care enroute to the hospital. The sooner a seriously ill or injured patient can get to hospital, the greater their chance of survival.
NSW Ambulance paramedics will always take a patient to the closest most appropriate hospital, dependent on their immediate clinical need.
Again our deepest sympathies remain with all those involved in this tragic incident.
