ANNUAL REPORT 2008 > A shared commitment to New Zealand communities ST JOHN ANNUAL REPORT 2008 | 1 ContentS Annual Review 2 Events Feature 24 > Saving Lives 6 Donors And Supporters 26 Everything we do, we do to help you. Whether we’re Operations Report 8 Financial Reports 28 Clinical Innovation 12 Audit Report 31 saving lives, dispatching ambulances, providing Communications Centres 14 Area Committee Locations 32 Medical Alarms 16 Performance Indicators 36 clinical crew for air ambulances, teaching first aid, Community Partnerships 18 Directories 37 St John In The Community 20 training young people or providing community services – everything we do has the best interests of New Zealanders at heart. ST JOHN ANNUAL REPORT 2008 2 | 3 Annual reView Whether we’re dispatching an ambulance, treating patients at an emergency scene or supporting elderly or unwell clients with a St John Lifelink Alarm in their own home, compassion is an essential part of our service. We have implemented further initiatives this year to During the year, St John and the New Zealand We trained a further 55,000 people this year in first ensure we continue to work toward our vision and Fire Service signed a further Memorandum of aid and essential life-saving skills. The St John Safe reach standards of excellence across all our services. Understanding, formalising our commitment to Kids programme is teaching pre-school and primary work even closer together. We are now looking for school children what to do in an emergency and our Collaboration IMportant opportunities to share more facilities and St John St John Youth programme is developing children From the beginning of our history in New Zealand is the preferred provider of first aid, paramedic and and young people into independent, resilient, more than 120 years ago, we have engaged with first responder training to the Fire Service. Both the community-minded adults. Fire Service and St John are effectively community local communities. This approach continues today Community resilience is also improved by owned and it makes sense for us to share resources, and remains the foundation of our organisation. the deployment of St John Lifelink Alarms, capability and expertise. We are committed to openness and collaboration supporting people with medical conditions to with all our stakeholders, including in the We were delighted to welcome two esteemed live independently at home and making it easier transparent relationship we have with our Crown new members to our national Trust Board this year. for them to call for help in an emergency. We are Rob Fenwick funders – the Ministry of Health and Accident Public sector management consultant and former working to develop further initiatives to provide Chancellor Jaimes Wood Compensation Corporation (ACC). State Services Commissioner Don Hunn CNZM and support for people in need of care who wish to Chief Executive Auckland District Health Board Director of Surgery remain living in their own homes. In 2008 the Government started work on a long- Ian Civil MBE CStJ ED bring a wealth of expertise and We are actively scoping a role of paramedic term strategy for the delivery of Ambulance services. experience to our Board. We are delighted the Government is undertaking practitioner to provide primary health care services Caring for all this forward planning – in liaison with Ambulance BuilDinG COMMunitY reSilienCE in communities and people’s homes when not New Zealand, all Ambulance providers including responding to emergency call-outs. We envisage Ambulance remains a pivotal activity. We have New Zealanders ourselves, and other key parties. the type of care provided could include preventative experienced continuing growth in demand for health checks, diagnosis and vaccination programmes. We are pleased the Ministry of Health and ACC our Ambulance and Events services, with demand Care for patients, families and communities lies moved in 2008 to contract with St John for two forecast to continue to increase year on year. Such initiatives are designed to position St John at the heart of St John. We believe the St John years, rather than one, enabling longer-term as a primary health care provider at the ‘top of the vision is powerful in intent – enhanced health We believe St John is ideally positioned to deliver planning and a firmer basis for investment decisions. cliff’ – complementing our role as an emergency and well-being for all New Zealanders. In a range of initiatives to support our Ambulance ambulance service. These are the kind of initiatives communities throughout the country, you will We continue to enjoy close collaboration with all service, reduce unnecessary demand for emergency a fully integrated organisation like St John will find thousands of St John members – ambulance parties in the Ambulance, Health and Emergency ambulances, build community resilience and deliver to communities – making contributions in officers, community programme volunteers, first Services sectors. These relationships are crucial to further improve the health and well-being of all community health as well as emergency health, aid tutors, fundraisers, youth leaders and many providing the highest level of service to the people New Zealanders. while maximising the community’s return on others – all motivated by this vision. of New Zealand. investment in our Ambulance service. Lifelink™ Medical Alarms provide support and independence to people with medical conditions who wish to remain living in their own homes. Priory Trust Board From left to right: Ed Sullivan, Steve Evans, John Hall, Richard Worth, Murray Jones, Rob Fenwick, John Harman, Don Hunn, Ian Civil. ST JOHN ANNUAL REPORT 2008 4 | 5 Annual REView Our community care programmes continue to go from strength to strength. CoMMunitY partnerSHipS NZ Cricket is also assisting us with fundraising and Shuttles – assisting people with mobility or health clinical skills are of the highest standard and at the public awareness campaigns. challenges to get to medical appointments. forefront of national and international best practice. We have entered a range of community partnerships this year, delivering significant benefits In June 2008, we announced a major new First formulated in 2006, we have developed a to communities. partnership with ASB designed to build caring All Community Care services contemporary Operations Competency Framework, communities, extend delivery of our health- which is being finalised now. This follows We signed an Alliance Agreement in August 2007 are provided by volunteers. Our related services and products to communities and collaborative visits with Ambulance services and with Norway-based global medical products growing volunteer programmes increase community support for St John. Together, universities in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada specialist Laerdal, focused on improving cardiac we offered free training in CPR for 11,000 people are clear testimony of the high and the United States. survival rates in New Zealand. nationwide. This is one of a range of service initiatives esteem in which St John is held We are consulting our members now on the In New Zealand, more than 1,000 people go into that will be delivered to New Zealanders by ASB and in our communities. Framework with a view to rolling it out this coming cardiac arrest outside the hospital environment St John working together in the community. year. The Framework outlines a new qualifications every year and currently only 8% survive. We aim structure and a new continuing Clinical Education to improve the out-of-hospital cardiac survival rate, CoMMuniCationS CentreS CoMMunitY Care proGraMMES system, designed to assure and maintain following the example set by ‘best in class’ locations, This year, we have built on the implementation of clinical standards. such as Seattle and Rochester in the United States Our community care programmes continue to one of our biggest projects ever – the Ambulance and Stavanger in Norway. These cities report a cardiac go from strength to strength. Our Friends of the Communications Project. This project consolidated None of the above would be possible without survival rate outside hospitals of nearly 30%. Emergency Department programme – where the nine Ambulance Communications Centres the enormous support St John enjoys from the St John volunteers provide support to patients communities and Government of New Zealand. Another crucial survival factor in cardiac arrest previously serving New Zealand, with different and families in hospital emergency departments, is early access to a defibrillator, a vital piece of procedures and equipment. We have completely The widespread community support we enjoy enabling hospital staff to focus on medical priorities equipment that provides a safe electric shock to rebuilt communications centres with standardised manifests itself in our Area Committees, who – has enjoyed outstanding success. This year restart the heart. We are working to increase the processes and technology. provide a vital link into our communities. It is also we expanded into five new hospital emergency community availability of defibrillators designed a reflection of the iconic status St John enjoys and departments – Middlemore (Auckland), Whakatane, The seven-year St John-led project involved all for the public to use. which we must continue to earn. Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Palmerston North. This Ambulance services, the Ministry of Health and ACC. In another valuable partnership, we teamed up with takes the total number of Emergency Departments An Oversight Committee of Ambulance New Zealand As we move towards celebrating our 125th NZ Cricket in 2008, with St John named the Charity benefiting from the programme to 17. ensures ongoing full sector involvement in the anniversary in New Zealand in 2010, we look forward of Choice for the BLACKCAPS national cricket team Ambulance Communications Centre environment. to continuing to serve the community in the year Other St John community programmes enriching for two years. ahead. Thanks to all New Zealanders for your lives and improving the health and well-being of support of this national treasure – St John.