Another death revealed as WA premier announces St John Ambulance management overhaul
Western Australia's St John Ambulance is under the spotlight after the state recorded its fifth death in just over a year linked to alleged substandard care by paramedics or hospitals.
WA's Premier Mark McGowan on Wednesday announced an overhaul, planting managers to look over St John's shoulder.
"We're going to embed two senior health department officers, including a very senior doctor at St John and two senior police," he said.
READ MORE: Drones capture incredible shark feeding frenzy in Western Australia
WA has recorded five deaths due to the alleged substandard ambulance ramping since the beginning of the year. 9News
The government also plans to use firefighter "assistance" under strict instruction when the system is overwhelmed, an option available since the start of COVID-19 planning but yet to be used.
"What will happen over the weekend is 48 firefighters will be trained in how to operate ambulances and as of next Tuesday, 48 firefighters will be out on the road with our paramedics," said St John CEO Michelle Fyfe.
READ MORE: Rain to make weekend return as cold front slams into south-east
Fire fighters will be used to help paramedics prevent anymore delay induced deaths in WA. 9News
The announcement came after a Perth family demanded answers following the death of grandmother Georgina Wild during a two-and-a-half-hour wait for an ambulance on Sunday.
"The agony she must have been in," Paul Wild said.
"Just all alone, no one to be with her".
9News can reveal an elderly Bellevue man also died of a heart attack on Sunday, after waiting two hours for paramedics
At 8.15am, the man aged in his 80s called triple zero, complaining of debilitating abdominal pain.
READ MORE: Russia releases images of Ukraine fighters after claiming a 'victory'
St John Ambulance staff are concerned more people will die this weekend. 9News
He was triaged as a priority three, meaning an ambulance should have arrived within an hour.
Instead after almost double that time, the St John call centre rang the man for a welfare check but he was by then experiencing chest pains.
He was upgraded to priority one but when paramedics arrived, he had not survived a heart attack.
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
