St John WA fields most heat-related emergency calls in five years as ambulances ramped across Perth hospitals

Sweltering temperatures across Perth have seen paramedics field the most heat-related emergency calls in five years. St John WA sent ambulances to more than 30 heatstroke call-outs in a 36-hour period as temperatures in the metropolitan area exceeded 41C. Paramedics were kept busy as they fielded 15 triple-0 calls on Wednesday — the most calls for heatstroke in five years — before that record was surpassed on Thursday with 16 call-outs. Most of those were metro calls, with regional jobs concentrated in the Wheatbelt in Northam, Merredin and Dandaragan. But the number of heat-induced medical episodes could be much higher, as those figures only take in cases where an ambulance was dispatched. The hot conditions have also seen ambulances ramped outside Perth hospitals for almost 1000 hours so far this week. It is understood there have been more than 220 hours of ramping per day every day since Monday, with some understood to be stranded for hours as paramedics waited to transfer their care to emergency departments. On Thursday afternoon there were at least nine ambulances waiting outside Royal Perth Hospital, while Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital were understood to have at least half a dozen each on-site at a time. WA Health ED data showed just 36 per cent of patients who attended RPH ED via ambulance on Wednesday were transferred within the recommended timeframe of half an hour — meaning two-thirds of patients were ramped outside the hospital in sweltering conditions through the day. It was a similar story at FSH, with one in two forced to wait in the heat due to ambulance ramping. The influx of emergency calls prompted St John WA to send out a heat warning, urging West Aussies to “stay safe”. “Temperatures are soaring and the UV index is set to sizzle, so we want you to slip, slop, slap, seek shade and stay hydrated,” St John WA posted on social media. “Be safe on our roads. If you’re driving somewhere to escape the heat, remember to stay alert on our roads. “If in doubt about whether an illness or injury is an emergency, call Triple Zero (000). Call takers are trained to help you and will direct you to the appropriate assistance.” WA Health was contacted for comment.