Increased Triple Zero (000) calls and ambulance demand have resulted in the Northern Territory recording the highest incidents per 1,000 people in the nation.
The 2026 Report on Government Services (RoGS), released last week, details the annual performance of ambulance services across the nation.
The latest data indicates that St John NT responded to about 245 incidents per 1,000 people, equating to almost one ambulance incident for every four Territorians. This compares to around 164 incidents per 1,000 people nationally, representing a 49 per cent higher incident rate than the national average.
In addition, the number of Triple Zero (000) calls received by the ambulance service has increased by 10 per cent from the previous year, with 101,500 calls, up from 91,600 calls in 2023/24.
Interim St John NT CEO, Reece Kershaw, said the results reflect the additional load frontline workers are faced with.
“The increased level of demand is being absorbed by the frontline workforce while St John NT’s cost per incident remains consistently below the national average, creating ongoing pressure on the organisation.”
St John NT also recorded the highest attrition rate in the nation.
“The Territory is characterised as a younger population and is a great place to learn and hone your skills. From a medical perspective, our paramedics experience cases unlike anywhere else in the country, making them highly sought after for their skills,” Mr Kershaw said.
St John NT continues to rate highly in overall patient satisfaction, with 96 per cent of survey respondents being overall satisfied with their experience of dealing with St John NT. In addition, 90 per cent trusted and felt confident in the level of care provided and 96 per cent regarded their provision of care as positive.
“I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all staff in our service, in particular the frontline staff, and thank everyone for their continued commitment in providing a high level of patient care in the Territory.
“St John NT is continuing to work with NT Health towards a new contract which addresses the resourcing required to deliver a contemporary ambulance service and has proposed a number of initiatives for improved conditions in the Enterprise Agreement negotiations,” Mr Kershaw said.
Data snapshot
In 2024/25 St John NT ambulance service managed:
- 64,177 - total incidents
- 56,028 - total patients
- 44,705 - patients transported to hospital
- 101,517 – total Triple Zero (000) calls
- 30% increase in the number of incidents
- 70% increase in the number of Triple Zero (000) calls
In the 5 last years, St John NT has seen:
- 30% increase in the number of incidents
- 70% increase in the number of Triple Zero (000) calls
