A $55m ambulance package featuring top-quality technology and equipment is to transform cardiac care. Photo: Julia Gomina.
Ambulances in NSW will be equipped with $55 million worth of world-class technology and equipment.
The statewide cardiac care package rollout will help paramedics and specialist clinicians to provide faster, better services for patients.
About 8000 people in NSW (20,000 Australians) suffer cardiac arrest every year out of the hospital.
One in 10 survives, which makes it the most common cause of death among adults.
NSW ambulances will be equipped with an additional 550 mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Lucas devices, 1400 state-of-the-art ECG/defibrillation devices, and a new cardiac notification platform that will improve communication between the ambulance and emergency departments.
NSW Ambulance chief executive Dr Dominic Morgan said to ensure the cardiac care package provided effective tools for responding to patients suffering cardiac arrest, the state ambulance service had worked with practising clinicians during development of the process.
“The Lucas CPR devices are a game changer as effective chest compressions are very hard to maintain for long periods, or when a patient is being moved down a flight of stairs to the ambulance, for example. These devices will provide ongoing compressions in these challenging situations,” Dr Morgan said.
“Patients will also benefit from the new Corpuls 3T 12-lead ECG/defibrillators, which weigh considerably less than previous defibrillators, making them safer and easier for paramedics to use.
“These defibrillators perform non-invasive blood pressure monitoring, capnography, pulse oximetry, temperature recording and pacing.”
Dr Morgan said the new cardiac notification platform would help streamline the transfer of patients from the ambulance into the hospital by improving communication between emergency departments and clinicians.
“The cardiac notification platform assists with the transfer of clinical observation data from ambulances and regional hospitals to tertiary hospitals so we can provide more rapid and effective treatment to patients with suspected heart attacks,” he said.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new ambulance package would give frontline healthcare staff the most up-to-date technology and tools for them to help save lives.
“NSW Ambulance will be the first ambulance service in Australia to have mechanical CPR Lucas devices in every frontline ambulance, ensuring patients can receive life-saving chest compressions throughout their journey to hospital,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Every second counts during a cardiac arrest.
“These devices give patients the best possible chance of staying alive, by supporting our highly trained paramedics to provide the best life-saving care from the minute they arrive at the patient’s side through to when they reach the hospital.”
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the investment would help save lives and provide better care for people across the state.
“We are strengthening frontline services, delivering better services for people across the state,” Mr Perrottet said.
“This is part of our record investment in our health system to ensure no matter where you live you have access to the best health care possible to provide people with world-class health care and save lives.”
In addition to the more than $55m cardiac care package for NSW Ambulance, the NSW Government has invested $150m over 10 years (2018-2028) in cardiovascular research in NSW.
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