Triple Zero for all
December 13, 2012
THE National Heart Foundation of
Australia is arguing for universal
ambulance cover for all Australians,
saying that the cost of ambulance
care influences many people to
delay or avoid calling Triple Zero.
The comments a national survey
of over 11,000 people that
identified cost as a barrier for
calling Triple Zero (000) for up to
650,000 people.
According to the results, the
survey found that 43.5% of
respondents (who live outside of
QLD and TAS-these states already
have universal ambulance cover)
who were not covered for an
ambulance said it would be too
expensive to call Triple 000 if they
thought they were experiencing a
heart attack.
“Sadly of the 10,000 people who
die of heart attack each year, 50%
fail to even make it to hospital
because it took too long to call
000,” said Dr Lyn Roberts, National
CEO of the Heart Foundation.
“What this research highlights is
that the ambulance service is an
integral part of heart attack care,
not just a transport service,”
Roberts added.
To this end, the Heart Foundation
has developed a position statement
that outlines the rationale for
universal ambulance cover, along
with options for aligning
ambulance care to ensure more
reliable and consistent funding
Australia wide.
To view the statement CLICK HERE.
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