St John staff moved to frontline roles as 111 calls hit record

Monday 24 August 2026 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated Mon 24 Aug, 3:20pm

In this story Hato Hone St John, Healthline

Hato Hone St John is moving staff from non-frontline roles into ambulance crews to manage record demand. The service handled 16,794 emergency calls in the week ending August 23, surpassing the previous record set the week prior.

How they headlined it

2:43pm3:20pm

1. StuffMon 24 Aug, 2:43pm

   St John staff pulled from office roles as 111 calls hit record high (opens in new tab)

2. 1News via RNZMon 24 Aug, 3:20pm

   Former paramedics called back to help with 'exceptional' demand (opens in new tab)