30 May 2023

Ambulance "ramping" takes nine crews off the road per day

From Morning Report, 7:35 am on 30 May 2023
St John Ambulance

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

The equivalent of nine ambulances a day are unable to respond to call-outs because they're stuck outside emergency departments, unable to drop off patients.

It's known as ramping - the time crews spend waiting for patients to be admitted - and it's increased more than three-fold nationwide since 2019.

Ruth Hill reports.