Over the weekend while driving our RV we required urgent medical treatment.
We were incredibly grateful an ambulance was able to arrive to our roadside location in 16 minutes, and that we were in a rural hospital within 44 minutes of my wife making the call.
It got us thinking - what is the average travel times for ambulances in New Zealand and how does this compare to the rest of the world. In this edition we explore this question.
First, what happened?
We had been helping run an obstacle at an adventure race called Blazing Hills in the central high plataue of New Zealand. Was a great event, we caught up with friends and family, in a small town near Ohakune and everything, apart from a few minor injuries for people, went well.
Driving back, the weather and driving conditions were great, we had the windows down, music on and were enjoying the road between Taumarunui and Te Kuiti.
The bees were also out enjoying the sunshine, and one landed on me arm and stung me.
I am allergic to bees - anaphylactic - so within a few minutes it quickly became a medical emergency.
We had strong antihistamine meds and an epi pen on board, but we always call an ambulance should we need further treatment - in this instance we didn't need anything else. Yay!
Ambulance response times in New Zealand
There is quite a lot of literature on EMS response times in New Zealand based on assessments and studies primarily with St Johns.
The average response time - network wide - and utilizing OSRM modelling is 14 minutes and 49 seconds.
This is based on the assumptions that the St Johns Ambulance:
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Immediately responded
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Drove at legal road speeds
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Did not stop at intersections
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Drove in ideal traffic conditions with no congestion
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Utilized the shortest route
Breaking this data down further we have the average numbers below:
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Urban Areas: 8–15 minutes for priority emergencies.
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Rural Areas: 30–60+ minutes, with some remote locations requiring helicopter assistance.
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Factors such as geographical ruggedness and population distribution significantly influence rural response times.
How does this compare to the rest of the world?
A quick literature review showed the following response times globally:
Australia: Urban Areas: 10–15 minutes, depending on the state or territory. Rural and Remote Areas: Can extend to 30–90 minutes, with reliance on Royal Flying Doctor Service and helicopters for isolated communities.
United Kingdom: Category 1 (Life-Threatening Emergencies): National goal is a response time within 7:00 minutes, with most incidents averaging 8–10 minutes in urban areas. Rural Areas: May experience delays of 15–20 minutes or more, particularly in less populated regions like Scotland.
United States: Urban Areas: Average response time is between 8–12 minutes, although large cities with heavy traffic can see variance. Rural Areas: Response times often exceed 20–30 minutes, highlighting the "rural health divide."
Canada: Urban Areas: 9–15 minutes on average. Rural and Remote Areas: Often longer than 30 minutes, with reliance on air ambulances in sparsely populated provinces like the Yukon or Nunavut.
Germany: Average Nationwide: Emergency services aim to respond within 8–12 minutes, with robust systems in place to meet targets in both urban and rural areas.
France: Urban Areas: Ambulance response times typically range from 10–15 minutes in metropolitan regions. Rural Areas: Slower responses, ranging from 20–40 minutes, are common, with smaller emergency bases covering larger territories.
Japan: Nationwide Average: Around 8.6 minutes, one of the fastest globally. Dense urban areas like Tokyo have highly efficient ambulance fleets.
India: Urban Areas: Average response times range from 15–25 minutes, but infrastructure challenges and traffic congestion can cause delays. Rural Areas: Frequently exceed 30–60 minutes, with some isolated villages having limited or no access to ambulances.
South Africa: Urban Areas: Ambulances typically arrive within 10–20 minutes in well-serviced city centres. Rural and Remote Areas: Response times can exceed 30–120 minutes, reflecting disparities in healthcare infrastructure.
China: Urban Areas: Official targets aim for responses within 12 minutes for emergencies, though heavy traffic can increase these times. Rural Areas: Wide geographic dispersion means response times often exceed 30 minutes or longer.
Scandinavian Countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark): Urban Areas: Response times in cities are typically around 8–10 minutes, supported by advanced healthcare systems. Rural Areas: Average response times range from 15–30+ minutes, with particularly remote towns relying on helicopter services.
Mexico: Urban Areas: Response times range from 10–15 minutes in developed cities. Rural Areas: Delays of 30 minutes to over an hour are common in underserved regions.
Middle East & Gulf Nations: United Arab Emirates (UAE): Ambulance response times are among the best, averaging around 8 minutes, especially in urban hubs like Dubai. Saudi Arabia: Urban responses range from 10–15 minutes, while rural areas are significantly slower, exceeding 30–45 minutes.
Developing Nations: In many developing countries (e.g., Sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Southeast Asia), ambulance response times vary widely: Urban Centres: Response times may range from 20–30 minutes, but this can stretch significantly in high-traffic or congested areas. Rural/Remote Areas: Ambulances may take hours or might not be available at all, with residents often relying on private transportation for emergencies.
Globally the average response time is around 10 minutes.
What can be done to improve ambulance travel times in New Zealand?
Given the diverse and remote nature of the road network in New Zealand, without significant investment, there are limited upgrade to response times that can be made. However, of course, there are some options:
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Investing in advanced technology: GPS and emergency apps for residents or an upgrading of these systems.
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Increase the ambulance fleet and resources: Not really feasible with current expenditure, with an extra $14.7m being earmarked to upgrade the aging helicopter fleet. Although always an option based on public sentiment. Note: From my Govt days health is a funny area of for public spending. If your are not sick, the community often questions the investment!
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Improved emergency call handling: Streamlining of calls and triage is one aspect, but equally public campaigns to make sure only urgent calls are made.
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Improved infrastructure: Dedicated lanes, road maintenance, smart signals can all play a role but require urgent investment.
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Telemedicine: This is starting to grow around the world.
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Enhanced emergency service coverage: Strategic ambulance bases developed.
For the last dot point this is something we did in Qatar. Created ambulance hubs at key intersections for faster response times.
Other options where we all play a part
Holistically thinking there are some other things that can be done:
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Being prepared: simply, if you are in a remote area, then being prepared is key. Carrying basic first aid equipment while waiting for help can make a huge difference.
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Helping others: One of the best parts of humanity is seeing people jump in and help when needed. We have seen this at road accidents, at events, and in a variety of emergencies. People being prepared to help others (especially when they have the skills) helps ease the burden and buys time until EMS arrives.
In summary
New Zealand has slightly higher than average ambulance response times. However, given the road network and remote rural areas, and smaller population, this is understandable.
If you get nothing else out of this article then think about the following three things from an emergency perspective:
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Be prepared.
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Help others if its safe to do so and you have the ability to do so.
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If you have severe allergies talk to your doctor about what meds you need with you in remote areas - the strong antihistamines combined with an epi pen saves lives and buys time if you are more than an hour away from help.
Till next week.
Andrew
p.s. some photos from the event below.
Transit Trends · Andrew Collings, KA Advisory. Read and comment on the original on LinkedIn.
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