Tocumwal's ambulance crisis: urgent action needed

As discussions with decision makers continue - including a meeting scheduled for this week - the Tocumwal Ambulance Steering Committee has set about gathering stories and data to influence a positive outcome.

With the support of Berrigan Shire Council, the group is demanding a permanent ambulance service for the community of Tocumwal.

The campaign has been ongoing for a number of years, with the continuing fast growth of Tocumwal making the service even more important now.

Berrigan Shire Mayor Julia Cornwell-McKean and Deputy Mayor Carly Marriott say all the community is asking for is the right to “call 000 and rely on the lights and sirens arriving”.

“People in rural areas do one of two things in an emergency; they take matters into their own hands, or they wait in fear and pain for help to arrive,” Cr Cornwell-McKean said.

“New South Wales Ambulance paramedics and their Victorian colleagues are tasked with the insurmountable job of covering large tracts of country at all hours, on all days.

“The Tocumwal Ambulance Steering Committee applauds the job they do, which is precisely why the community are calling on New South Wales Ambulance to establish a station in Tocumwal.

“Having asked the public to share their experience of medical emergencies in the Berrigan Shire alone, a grim picture has been painted. ”

Cr Marriott said the stories from the community were harrowing and demonstrate that, despite the best efforts of paramedics in other communities and the local Fire + Rescue NSW first responders, Tocumwal needs more.

“We heard from mothers who drove lethargic newborns forty plus kilometres to an interstate emergency department instead of calling an ambulance, for fear of the wait time,” Cr Marriott said.

“We spoke to young boys and men alike who were left in tears for hours with horrific bone breakages unable to be moved and unable to be treated until an ambulance arrived.

“Farm accidents, asthma attacks, post-operative bleeds, near-fatal bouts of croup, our growing community needs an ambulance stationed in Tocumwal.

“Sadly, our self-sufficiency has failed us, too. When loved ones are in danger, we act.

“And it’s not because we don’t trust our paramedics, it’s because we don’t believe they have been given the necessary resources by the government to cover their patch.”

Under the Community First Responders (CFR) model, there are five Fire + Rescue NSW personnel at Tocumwal who are provided with NSW Ambulance equipment to respond to emergency incidents.

The Tocumwal CFR unit is dispatched when requested, and provide emergency assistance until paramedics arrive.

The closest NSW Ambulance station to Tocumwal is in Finley, 21km away.

Data provided to the Southern Riverina News by NSW Ambulance earlier this month indicated response times in Tocumwal range from just over 18 minutes (lights and sirens) to almost 27 minutes (no lights and sirens).

The service said efforts are always being made to improve response times across the state, and that response times for this region has already improved since a 2022 review.

NSW Ambulance has also said that at least 20 other communities would be prioritised for a station over Tocumwal based on their modelling.

“As part of our evidence-based service planning, New South Wales Ambulance regularly uses best practice modelling software to assess and analyse all locations across New South Wales to identify and prioritise the most suitable locations for emergency care. This analysis includes mapping and modelling Triple Zero (000) calls to potential station locations,” a service spokesperson said.

“Tocumwal was not identified as a priority location, relative to other areas, in service planning completed by New South Wales Ambulance in 2023.

“More than 20 other locations throughout regional New South Wales have been identified with a higher priority for new services than Tocumwal.”

Stories gathered by the steering committee will be presented at this week’s meeting.