Hato Hone St John have been advised by First Union and the New Zealand Ambulance Association (NZAA) division of the Amalgamated Workers Union New Zealand that their members will withdraw labour for four hours from the beginning of their shifts on Saturday 24 August.
Patient safety and wellbeing remain our top priority, and we have plans in place to provide emergency care during this time..
We remind the public to only call 111 for an ambulance in a medical emergency or serious injury. If your call is non-urgent, there may be a delay, or you may be asked to self-transport to hospital or a medical clinic if it is considered safe for you to do so.
If you are a health provider and are referring patients to an Emergency Department, encourage them to seek alternative transport options whenever it is feasible and safe to do so.
Pānui - te Reo Māori
Some of our frontline ambulance staff are participating in a strike on Saturday 24 August 2024.
During this time, the safety of whānau remains our focus and we have plans in place to provide emergency care.
Mēnā he mōreareatanga, tēnā waea tonu atu ki 111.
If there is a life-threatening emergency, please still call 111.
Mēnā kei te āhua mauiui koe, tēnā waea atu ki tō tākuta me ngā ratonga hauora rānei.
If you or anyone in your whānau are feeling māuiui, a bit unwell, please contact Healthline or your hauora provider, or consider going to an urgent care clinic or hospital if it is safe to do so.
Ko tā mātou aronga matua, ko te oranga o ngā hapori katoa i Aotearoa.
Our focus is the health and well-being of our communities
More information for health providers can be found here:
HHSJ Notification of Withdrawal of Labour to Hospital Emergency Departments
HHSJ Notification of Withdrawal of Labour to Primary Care and Urgent Care Providers
HHSJ Notification of Withdrawal of Labour to PRIME Responders
HHSJ Notification of Withdrawal of Labour to Hospice Providers
HHSJ Notification of Withdrawal of Labour to Fire and Emergency New Zealand
HHSJ Notification of Withdrawal of Labour to Event Providers and venues
If you'd like to speak to one of our representatives please call 0800 STJOHN (0800 785 646), Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm and Saturday 7.30am - 12.30pm
Yes, continue to call 111 in a medical emergency.
When you call 111, we will assess your situation, and urgent or life-threatening emergencies will be given the highest priority. If your call is not immediately life threatening, you are likely to experience a delay or be asked to self-transport to hospital or a medical clinic if it is safe to do so.
Union members will be withdrawing labour for the first four hours at the beginning of their shift. This will be for 24 hours from 4am on Saturday 24 August until 4am on Sunday 25 August 2024
For all non-emergencies we are asking people to access health services from their GP, Healthline number 0800 611 116, pharmacy or urgent care clinic.
Yes, St John medical alarms will continue to operate during this time.
When you push your medical alarm or call 111, we’ll call you or talk to you through the alarm to confirm that you need assistance. Depending on the nature of your situation, there may be an ambulance sent. At other times we may contact a support person for you or give you expert advice over the phone.
If you are deaf, hearing or speech impaired you can continue to use the 111 TXT to call an ambulance. A reminder that if you are not already registered then you’ll need to register for this service via the New Zealand Police
Please email us at
If you have an enquiry that needs to be made over the phone you can also call 0800 STJOHN (0800 785 646).