Unfortunately, sometimes an injury requires traveling to the hospital via ambulance.
If an injured player requires an ambulance usually the ground control at the oval you are playing will ring the ambulance for you. When calling an ambulance they need to give detailed instructions on location, nearest cross streets, access to oval etc. This is best done by the ground control.
However, at a recent SSFA General Meeting, the question was asked on who pays for ambulances called. The SSFA executive has supplied the following information to save any confusion:
Clubs, Please note the below and attached information in response to Tuesday’s General Meeting …
Please see the attached document regarding billing for an ambulance.
The first point is:
- You (ie the injured player) will be charged for the service provided to you regardless of who may have called Triple Zero (000);
- However, if a patient in the meantime is taken by private car to a hospital without waiting for an ambulance then there is no charge to anyone; and
- If an ambulance arrives and the patient or guardian refuses treatment then there is no charge to anyone.
The best advice I could give to clubs before calling an ambulance is to:
- Determine if the patient really needs an ambulance (a broken arm is not life-threatening and whilst traumatic for a patient and family a private transport to a hospital would be advised. A fractured leg, on the other hand, would probably warrant an ambulance);
- Ensure no one else has called an ambulance before making another call; and
- Finally if an ambulance has been called and no longer required then it should be cancelled.
In summary – NO TREATMENT OR TRANSPORT, NO CHARGE
Thanks
Paul Gallagher OAM