Paramedic response times affected by delays dropping off patients at hospital, says Ambulance Chief

The Northumberland County ambulance service celebrated its 10th Survivor’s Night recently. It is a chance for patients to connect with paramedics who saved their lives. Yet, at a recent Northumberland County council meeting, questions were raised about ambulance response times. One key area slowing down paramedics is the time it takes to drop off patients at local hospitals. This is called off-loading. The province provides funding for a dedicated hospital staff member to process patients upon their arrival by ambulance. It should take about 30 minutes. However, in most cases, it takes longer. A big problem is the province. It pays for the dedicated hospital staff. Yet, the money arrives late in the fiscal year and in amounts that are less than requested. Ambulance Chief Susan Brown will explain what is going on and what can be done. Take a moment to hear what she has to say and see if it makes sense to you.