Ambulance New Brunswick introduces multi-patient vehicles for non-urgent transfers
CBC
Starting Thursday, Ambulance New Brunswick will use multi-patient vehicles for non-urgent transfers instead of ambulances in greater Moncton and Fredericton, followed by the Saint John area in September.
Instead of paramedics, the new vehicles will be staffed by emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, who haven't been used in the province for 16 years.
Until now, every patient being transferred required an ambulance and two paramedics, said Health Minister Bruce Fitch.
But a pilot study showed about half of ambulance transfers were acuity Level 5, which is "not very sick at all," he told reporters in Moncton Wednesday.
"Using EMTs to help handle non-urgent transfers and using multi-patient vehicles will help ensure other ambulances, staffed by paramedics, can respond to emergency calls," Fitch said.
Non-urgent transfers can include, for example, transporting patients between hospitals or taking long-term care residents to medical appointments.
"This is excellent news because it's going to be using our resources more efficiently, more effectively to again make sure people get the care where and when they need it … the most," Fitch said.
The vehicles can accommodate up to four patients, with three seats and one wheelchair area instead of space for a stretcher.
They have less equipment than an ambulance, said Department of Health spokesperson Adam Bowie, but he did not provide any specifics.
Although there are four new vehicles in the fleet, only three are expected to be in service by September, according to Bowie. He did not explain why or say when or where the fourth would be used.
Ambulance New Brunswick did not respond to a request for more information, including the costs, or the number of non-urgent transfers per year.
New Brunswick has not had any working EMTs since 2007, when paramedic training was deemed the minimum level of care required on ambulances.
EMTs require nine weeks of training compared to the 50 weeks it takes to become a paramedic.
Last fall, the province announced plans to reintroduce emergency medical technicians in "early 2023" to work on non-urgent transports, citing a shortage of paramedics.