Elderly man killed in Pacific Highway crash

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A man has died after a crash near Blacksmiths on Friday morning.

About 10.30am, emergency services were called to the Pacific Highway at Blacksmiths, about 24km south of Newcastle.

Officers were told a hatchback left the roadway and crashed into bushland down an embankment.

The driver and sole occupant was treated by paramedics, but died at the scene.

He is yet to be formally identified but is believed to be aged in his 90s. 

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Hunter Paramedics and Patient Transport Officers Join 24 Hour Strike

BY JACQUELYN RICHARDS

Paramedics and patient transport officers across Newcastle and the Hunter are joining the strike against government inaction on wages today. 

Workers are demanding action from the government on their promise to scrap the public sector wage cap which limits pay rises at 3%. 

As part of the industrial action, workers will not be taking patients home from hospitals once they've been discharged. 

Patients will still be able to get into hospitals, but the system will be delayed as patient transport workers refuse to transfer patients seeking transport from hospitals to residential and age care facilities. 

It's estimated thousands of patients across the Hunter and the state will be inconvenienced. 

The state government has been slow moving on their promise for better pay, and Health Services Union Secretary Gerard Hayes is doubtful they'll meet their timeline to effect change by June 1st. 

"We've got 43 days until the 1st of July when a wage deal should be in place and clearly that's not going to happen," said Mr. Hayes. 

Mr. Hayes also noted the government's lack of care towards health care workers amidst the current cost of living crisis, saying it's forcing local paramedics to move out of state for work. 

If not resolved, he warns the healthcare system in New South Wales will crumble. 

"We're seeing paramedics now starting to move on mass to Queensland, to Victoria, so shortly we'll be struggling to have a paramedic service at all," he said. 

Mr. Hayes has made clear the demands the union has for healthcare workers, and says they'd like to see change actioned as quickly as possible. 

"We'd like to see a 6.5% pay rise as of the 1st of July, we'd like the government to be able to sit down with us and be able to undertake award reform of a range of awards," he said. 

"We'd like to stop the government stealing money out of workers pockets with respect to their salary packaging that health workers currently have; the government takes 50% of that salary packaging and we'd like to see a royal commission as soon as possible." 

Health Services Union members insist they don't want industrial action to harm patients, but want to ensure the government clearly understands the effect their inaction has had on workers amidst inflation and the cost of living crisis. 

"Paramedics and patient transfer officers have taken action today to ensure that the government is clearly understanding the level of anxiety that people are suffering on the back of 7% inflation and wages not moving," Mr. Hayes said. 

This is the first major industrial action which has taken place since the new state government won the election. 

Edgeworth to Receive New Ambulance Station

BY OLIVIA DILLON

A new ambulance station in Edgeworth is on the way, thanks to the state government's record investment into health.

The new station will feature internal parking for emergency ambulance vehicles, vehicle wash facilities, logistics and storage spaces, an administration office, staff amenities, and multipurpose spaces to support staff education. 

It comes as part of the government's total 1.76 billion dollar investment, which is set to transform NSW ambulance services over the next 4 years. 

As part of the program, the government has also announced $835 million will be allocated to the John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct, $111.48 million will be handed-down to redevelop Cessnock Hospital, and 45 million will go towards Muswellbrook Hospital. 

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin, said the site for the Edgeworth station will be determined once further planning is completed with key stakeholders. 

Man helped to safety after Hexham warehouse fall

BY IAN CROUCH

Paramedics have treated a man for minor injuries after he fell through the floor of an abandoned warehouse at Hexham on Thursday morning.

Police, ambulance and fire crews were called to Old Maitland Road just after 10.30am.

NSW Ambulance says the man in his 40s fell about three metres, at the former M.I. Steel Building.

He was helped to safety by police and paramedics, who treated him for cuts and a minor ankle injury.

Senior police constable in hospital after Islington crash

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Crash Investigation Unit is investigating, after a collision between a police car and and a Mazda 6 on Maitland Road at Islington just before 9am on Thursday morning.

Police say the officer was responding to an urgent request for assistance in Mayfield, when the crash happened.

The male senior constable and a 20-year-woman were both taken to the John Hunter as a precaution.

Upper Hunter man suffers head and neck injuries in tractor accident

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A man has suffered head and neck injuries, after being struck with a chain and shackle at a property at Baerami near Sandy Hollow on Tuesday afternoon.

Paramedics treated the 31-year-old at the scene, before he was flown to the John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.

It's believed the chain broke when he was trying to use the tractor to pull a truck which had been bogged.

Four people hospitalised after head-on crash at Pokolbin

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Four people have been taken to the John Hunter after a head-on crash at Pokolbin on Monday evening.

Emergency services were called to Hermitage Road at 6:20pm after a car and a van collided.

No one was trapped, but paramedics treated four patients at the scene.

A man in his 40s had facial injuries and a broken leg, and a woman in her 40s also suffered a broken leg.

A man and a woman in their 80s had minor injuries.

St John's Maitland Welcomes New Vehicle and Equipment

BY OLIVIA DILLON

St John's Ambulance volunteers in Maitland have welcomed the delivery of a new service vehicle and stretcher. 

The new equipment was purchased using two grants totaling $60,000, via the NSW Government's Community Building Partnership Program. 

The grants are offered annually in support of community infrastructure projects which yield social,  environmental or recreational rewards for the community. 

The 2021 round saw 19 local organisations across the Maitland region secure funding. 

Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison, said she was honoured to recommend St Johns for the grant. 

"It was really exciting for them to receive this funding," Ms Aitchison said. 

"Community groups are working so hard in our community. It's nice to be able to help them with fundraising for projects to help them, help others."  

The funding comes off the back of recent flooding in the region, which saw volunteers going the extra mile to serve the community. 

Rather than transporting patients, the four-wheel drive vehicle will primarily be used to transport volunteers themselves to and from jobs. 

Ms Aitchison said recent events have demonstrated just how important local volunteers are. 

"The St John's Ambulance so an amazing amount of work in our community. During the floods they were based on Gillieston Island and that was over many days; they were actually sleeping on the island. They just do great work helping our other health and emergency services in times of emergency," she said.  

Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison and Jim Klumpp from St Johns Ambulance.

Woman stabbed in abdomen at Woodberry

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A woman has been stabbed at Woodberry on Monday morning and another is in police custody.

Emergency services responded to Segenhoe St around 10am, with three ambulance crews and the Westpac Helicopter en route.

The 39-year-old woman suffered a single stab wound to the abdomen and a laceration to the head.

She has been airlifted to the John Hunter where she remains in a stable condition.

A 37-year-old woman, believed to be known to the victim, has been arrested.

NSW Ambulance Inspector Joel de Zuna says the patient was "incredibly lucky".

"Paramedics did a fantastic job in extricating the woman from the scene and taking her to the emergency medical team that had arrived on the helicopter," he said.

"The critical care doctor and paramedics worked to control the bleeding and stabilise the woman for transport to hospital."

"Stab wounds cause nasty injuries that can be challenging to treat due to the potential penetration of organs and blood vessels. This patient was incredibly lucky."

Young girl kicked in the head by horse at Murrurundi

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A young girl has been airlifted to the John Hunter Hospital after she was kicked in the head by a horse at Murrurundi on Saturday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to the property around 1:30pm, finding the girl in a serious but stable condition.

Paramedics treated the girl for significant facial injuries and transported her by ambulance to Murrurundi Hospital helipad, where she was flown to the John Hunter for further treatment.

She remains in a serious but stable condition.

Man impaled by steel rod in accident at Teralba workplace

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A man is in hospital after his arm was impaled by a steel rod in a workplace accident at Teralba on Monday morning.

An ambulance crew was called to the Park Street premises around 10:15am.

Paramedics administered pain relief to the man, believed to be in his 20s, working with a Fire and Rescue team to trim the steel rod and safely move him.

He was taken to the John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition. 

Pair suffer serious injuries after being swept from Nobbys breakwall

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Two people are in hospital after they were thrown from the Nobbys breakwall in Monday morning's heavy surf.

Ambulance crews were called to the scene around 8:45am, where they treated a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s for serious injuries, including fractures.

They've been taken to the John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.

Image credit: Visit Newcastle.

Man loses arm in industrial accident at Tomago

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A man has been taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition, after his arm was severed in an accident at a Tomago workplace.

Paramedics attended the Kennington Drive site around 8pm on Wednesday night.

The accident occurred while the man was operating heavy machinery.

The man is believed to be aged in his 30s and was taken to the John Hunter Hospital.

It's understood, the man has or is likely to lose his arm. 

Paramedics to Escalate Industrial Action

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Paramedics will escalate their industrial action from Monday, in response to state-wide ambulance shortages. 

The action comes after the Australian Paramedics Association NSW announced there were zero transport ambulances available for patients in Newcastle yesterday. 

Illawarra and the Central Coast have also been stung by the shortages and had no vehicles available. Meanwhile there were only 8 cars available in the Sydney LGA. 

An overflowing ambulance bay outside the John Hunter Hospital on Thursday also offered insight into the severity of the region's healthcare crisis. 

Secretary of the Hospital's branch of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, Rachel Hughes, told the Newcastle Herald this was a regular occurrence, with vehicles often forced to park on the road and in no stopping zones while they waited to offload patients. 

As part of the proposed action, participating paramedics not be putting patient billing information on their electronic medical records, making it much harder for NSW Health to send patients an ambulance bill.

They will also be refusing staff movements, which would see them relocated to another station once on shift, and are calling for an additional 1500 staff. 

State Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said the sector's lack of support is bearing fatal consequences. 

"People are waiting enormous times to actually get an ambulance. We had the terrible situation of a death of a Lake Macquarie woman who waited 7 hours for an ambulance back on the 29th of April, and she passed away only ten minutes after being admitted; that's a catastrophe," Mr Crakanthorp said. 

A 31-year-old Maryland mother also passed away last year after suffering from anaphylactic shock and waiting an hour for an ambulance to arrive. 

In response, NSW Ambulance is currently reviewing a pilot plan to use taxis to transport non-emergency patients to general practitioners and pharmacies.  

However, there are concerns this would just transfer the workload onto already under-pressure GP's. 

Mr Crakanthorp wants all avenues to be considered, and said it's fair enough paramedics are fed up. 

"They're tired of apologizing for attending to patients hours late and they're passionate about their job, they're passionate about healthcare, and when they can't get to patients quickly enough, they're devastated and so am I," he said. 

"On behalf of the community and myself, I'm calling on the government to increase resourcing and wages." 

NSW Paramedics will escalate industrial action starting Monday.  

65-year-old in hospital after single vehicle crash at Salt Ash

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A man's been taken to the John Hunter after a single vehicle crash at Salt Ash on Wednesday morning. 

It's understood the car crashed into a pole on Nelson Bay Rd before 9:50am.

A 65-year-old driver had to be freed from the vehicle. 

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter also attended, but paramedics carried out initial treatment and transported the man to hospital.

He's suffered lacerations and a broken leg, and remains in a stable condition.

Image credit: Port Stephens Hunter Police District.

Hunter paramedics take industrial action as staffing shortages continue

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Paramedics across the Hunter and New South Wales are taking industrial action today, calling on the State Government to address critical staff shortages.

They'll refuse to move from their designated stations to fill gaps in rosters, although the Australian Paramedics Association says patient care and emergency response won't be impacted by the action.

The union's also calling for a pay rise and larger investment in referral networks and specialist programs to reduce the burden across the healthcare system.

Delegate and intensive care paramedic Brett Simpson says New South Wales has one of the lowest-funded and lowest-staffed ambulance services in the country.

"Five years of consecutive data, out of NSW Ambulance shows the worst response times in the organisation's history," Mr Simpson said.

"We're seeing right across regional NSW it's even worse, especially with longer response times from major hospitals like the John and the Mater, out to the Lower Hunter."

The action was launched as crews clocked in at 6:15 this morning, and will continue for 24 hours.

It's the second time this year the union has undertaken this sort of action, though the union has received an industrial dispute notification from NSW Ambulance this time.

The union will also meet with the Industrial Relations Commission tomorrow morning. 

Mr Simpson says paramedics aren't likely to back down until the Government comes to the table.

"We've seen other states support their healthcare workers by offering pandemic payment and other support measures to try and keep their workforce at work and in their state," Mr Simpson said.

"Unfortunately, for paramedics and other frontline healthcare workers, the NSW Government's done the literal exact opposite and cut our pay multiple times over the last two years."

Elderly Man With Broken Hip Forced to Wait Six Hours for Ambulance

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Concerns about ambulance shortages have been raised after an elderly nursing home patient had to wait six hours for paramedics to arrive after suffering a broken hip.

Despite an announcement by the Health Minister in 2019 that 750 new paramedics and call centre staff would join the force over the next four years, critics say new recruits are not keeping up with the numbers leaving the industry.

Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery said there were only nine cars operating across the Lower Hunter on Friday night, despite the large population and size of the region.

"Paramedics are telling me that they are being stretched to breaking point, with many staff working multiple overtime shifts per week or being sent to cover staff shortages in other regions," Ms Hornery said.

"I think the community would be horrified to know that only nine ambulances are operating on a Friday night to cover such a large area and population."

The Australian Paramedics Association had also made calls late last year for NSW Ambulance to deliver more resources to the Hunter, with local crews forced to make up for shortages in areas such as Raymond Terrace and Kurri Kurri.

A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said the response to the nursing home patient had been appropriate given the high number of emergency calls in the region. 

Man Dies After Crashing Motorcycle in Lake Macquarie

 BY ISABEL EVERETT

A motorcyclist has died following a crash in Lake Macquarie. 

About 2.35pm on Thursday emergency services were called to Caves Beach Road, Caves Beach, after reports a motorcycle had left the road and hit a fence after colliding with a turning vehicle.

The rider who is yet to be formally identified, believed to be an 18-year-old man, was treated by Ambulance paramedics, however he died at the scene.

The female driver of a Ford Territory wagon involved in the crash was taken to Belmont Hospital for mandatory testing.

Officers from Lake Macquarie Police Distrct have commenced an investigation into the circumstances of the crash.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash-cam footage or CCTV footage which might assist police with their investigation is asked to call Lake Macquarie Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Australian Paramedics Association Raises Alarm Over Ambulance Shortages in Newcastle this Week

 BY ISABEL EVERETT 

 

The Australian Paramedics Association has raised the alarm Newcastle is being left with inadequate ambulance coverage, after the cities largest station was left with just one crew on Wednesday night. 

 The station would normally run at least three cars on a night shift, with staff advising the AMA  cars were moved from Hamilton, to Kurri Kurri and Raymond Terrace for shift coverage due to shortages at those stations.

“Our members are telling us that this is now a very regular occurrence which poses a risk to community safety. Fewer ambulances means much longer response times and puts patients’ lives at risk," said APA (NSW) Committee member and local Paramedic Brendan McIlveen.

“This seems to be ongoing with no end in sight, and is concerning forthe local community of Newcastle who deserve access to Ambulances when they need it.” said APA (NSW) President Chris Kastelan.

An SMS reportedly went out all paramedics in the Hunter area on Wednesday stating there were shifts to be filled. 

The AMA says this did not happen until 3pm with shifts to start at 7pm and due to the lack of the staff in the area and poor planning, shifts were unable to be filled in time.

The AMA is calling for Ambulance NSW to to urgently reassess its paramedic crewing levels in the Hunter.

 "To ensure the local community can have faith that when they call ‘000’,  a paramedic crew will be dispatched and be at their front door quickly.” Said Mr McIlveen. 

“More resources are needed in the Hunter area to ensure that service delivery to the community can be met even during peak periods.” Said Mr McIlveen

New Emergency Operations Centre Unveiled in Newcastle Today

 BY SAMUEL BARTLETT

Newcastle Council has unveiled a state of the art centre to coordinate the efforts of first responders across the city.

The Local Emergency Operations Centre is designed to be a flexible space allowing customer service and incident response to occur under the same roof. Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes says the centre has been a priority for a while and will assist emergency workers protect the city.

She says, "the principle here for us at council, and that $1.8 million investment into this space, is primarily to support our first responders across the board."

"From fire and rescue, police, to our welfare agencies, if we're supporting them that means our communities is best supported during an emergency."

The new centre is equipped with multiple monitoring screens, showering facilities and kitchen area.

Flexible work-spaces: the customer service area may also be used by emergency responders

Deputy Director of Operations for NSW ambulance Jordan Emery says being able to coordinate all emergency services in one place is vital when there's a major disaster in the city.

"The simple reality of having everyone in a room like this that leverages technology to share information is absolutely crucial to the success of emergency management,

"To have everyone together in this space to have the technology to be able to share the information broadly influences the timeliness of our response to different emergencies."

Jordan Emery at the Newcastle Local Emergency Operations Centre

Kitchen area of the Local Emergency Operations Centre