Unique Wellington ambulance service helping 7s event

Wellington Free Ambulance is pouring staff and resources into what is its busiest weekend of the year in the capital – the Wellington Sevens.

Wellington Free Ambulance will have 18 paramedic and volunteer staff at the Sevens on both Fridayand Saturday.

A triage unit will also be set up each night in Courtenay Place to attend to the overspill of revellers heading into the city’s bars at the end of the day.

“This is our busiest weekend of the year by far. Last year we attended 68 patients over 2 days at Westpac Stadium and 30 patients in Courtenay Place. The treatments covered a wide variety of medical and accidental needs ranging from bleeding noses to broken bones and inevitably included people who had drunk too much alcohol,” says Andy Long, Wellington Free Ambulance’s head of service delivery.

“Our support during the Sevens weekend not only helps those who need medical aid it reduces pressure on Wellington Hospital’s ED department by treating people at our triage units.”

“Wellington Free Ambulance is the only emergency ambulance service that operates in the Wellington, Kapiti and Wairarapa areas. People do get confused about the name of their emergency ambulance provider in this region, but in fact this is the only region in the country that has a unique ambulance service free to patients. When people in the Greater Wellington and Wairarapa regions need an ambulance it is us, Wellington Free Ambulance, that helps them. We’ll also have a team on Courtney Place on Friday and Saturday nights until around 5am to provide care for people in town who need us,” says Mr Long.

Mr Long agrees local support is something Wellington Free Ambulance welcomes. Wellington Free people will be collecting donations for the charitable organisation at the Sevens.

ENDS

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