[316] - Your host on Radio 3AW - Talk Back Radio 27-11-2025

We unpack the real mechanics of Triple Zero while sharing practical night shift nutrition, and we dig into ambulance ramping, hospital bottlenecks, and why culture and policy shape ED overload. Roger brings frontline stories from policing and coaching to map fixes that actually work.

• Treating mindset to improve shift worker health
• Fruit, antioxidants, and smart snacks for nights
• Why dispatch questions don’t delay ambulances
• Misuse of Triple Zero and alternatives to ED
• Ambulance ramping explained and root causes
• Nursing swing shifts and safety risks
• Cultural habits, GP access, and education
• Police and paramedic cooperation on volatile jobs
• Funding priorities for health and law and order

Chapters

• 20:44 Marker 01

Transcript

SPEAKER_10: 4:29

Wherever you are right across the birth who's sending text messages, you can do that as well. 0477693693. Roger Sutherland. Uh what do I how do I describe Roger? How do I how what's the best way to describe you now? Legendary. Uh well that's probably so the legendary Roger Sutherland. For people that don't know that might be tuning in for the first time, we probably need to give them a bit more of a background.

SPEAKER_09: 4:51

A bit more than that. Former Victoria Floosman of 40 years. Um worked in everything everything that you can possibly do just about in wheat pile. And then I um about six years ago I returned to study at the age of 55, studied nutrition, thinking that that was the issue around shift work, and have since learned that there's a whole gamut of indu uh of issues.

SPEAKER_10: 5:12

Beyond nutrition.

SPEAKER_09: 5:13

Beyond well, nutrition's the actual probably the symptom.

SPEAKER_10: 5:17

Right.

SPEAKER_09: 5:18

Um so what we do now is we treat the six inches between the ears to help the six inches around the waist. And I I spend a lot of time doing that. It's a good one. That really locked you over, didn't it?

SPEAKER_10: 5:31

The six inches around the waist.

SPEAKER_09: 5:33

The six inches well, we treat the six inches between the ears.

SPEAKER_10: 5:37

Uh let's take a couple of calls. Uh now, Artie, uh, do you know Roger? Roger Sutherland from A Healthy Shift?

SPEAKER_07: 5:43

Yep. Good morning, Roger. Everyone knows Roger, of course. Well respected man, great man. And uh good morning, Tony and Jackson. Now, Roger, a police question. When I did the handcuff course and unfortunately encountered some wanted criminals and used the method behind the back, I noticed they're still using the chain handcuffs from the front. Wouldn't that be a bit dangerous of what's going on these days? I don't know if you remember the uh wanted arm rubber for a still chase. Yes. I was a supervisor there and took him out. And then there was another one that was well, I won't go too far into detail, but I got taught when I deal with Vic a Vic police instructor and a military cop that it's always better to use the hinge handcuffs behind the back.

SPEAKER_09: 6:27

Yeah, I haven't seen the hinge ones. I've only ever seen the safflocks, which were the the ones with the chain between. But you'll notice a lot of the special squads and that are now are using the cable tires, the big cable ties. Right, okay. Um if it's if it's instant, they're not going to do that on the street as an arrest, but they will use the cable ties as a quick arrest. Um But yeah, the the uh the handcuffs that they're using, I I'll tell you a funny story. I remember I remember getting a big fellow down in Frankston one night and going to put the handcuffs on, and as I told him to get his arms back, he couldn't we couldn't get his arms back together. Yeah. So and then we tried to put one cuff on, couldn't get it around his wrist. Couldn't get it round, couldn't get the cuff around his wrist. We were in it was a summons job, is what we call them. Just be at court on this day, thanks.

SPEAKER_10: 7:19

Well, you just had to dump one of your words there. Did you realize? I didn't did I? Yeah, you did. Oh it's live radio. One word. I didn't I don't know what I said. What did I say? One double three there. Well, I do it too, so don't laugh. One double three six nine three is that telephone number. Artie, thank you for that. I should point out, Artie, if you're still listening, uh Bruce Lee would have been having a birthday uh today for those fans of uh Bruce Lee. Was born in this day 1940, uh, 73. We lost him if he was only 32. Heart attack. Uh let me do it. I've got a feeling it was a heart attack. That doesn't say on my little uh sheet. Uh who's waiting? Lenny, morning. Good morning, guys.

SPEAKER_12: 8:04

Roger, morning, Lenny. Good morning. Um you're talking shift work. Yes. Uh well, I was lucky actually. I I I worked shift work twenty-five years, round the clock. And uh I was lucky I was working at Telamarine Airport and I was working in the catering section, so we got fed like you wouldn't believe, mate.

unknown: 8:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09: 8:30

You'd hope you get fed in the catering section.

SPEAKER_12: 8:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_10: 8:37

Is that oh is that all you got? I thought there was gonna be a tag to that lady. Uh so you had plenty of you had plenty to eat.

SPEAKER_12: 8:44

No, no, no tag.

SPEAKER_10: 8:45

Oh right, okay. So you had plenty to eat as part of the uh was that all provided complimentary? I beg your pardon.

SPEAKER_09: 8:53

Was was the food provided complimentary? Was it free?

SPEAKER_12: 8:56

Was it free? We did international and domestic catering for aircraft. Uh I started there in uh what eighty eighty four. And uh I I was there for twenty-five years. And uh yeah. Uh your meals were had to be provided because you couldn't you couldn't take lunch in there because of being a quarantine um station.

SPEAKER_09: 9:30

But that's good though, because at least you're eating decent food. Yeah, well, uh instead of a vending machine.

SPEAKER_10: 9:36

And you say that it's uh that it's all about like everything, we've known this for a long time, you are what you eat. V very much so.

SPEAKER_09: 9:43

Um because it improves, you know, when we eat. I I actually put a quote on my uh social media this week of someone says to you, but fruit's got a lot of money. Which social media, so we can uh give it a black plug. Yeah. What is it? Well, a healthy shift. My my Instagram account is a healthy shift. Um and I I think we demonize fruit because of the sugar. We go, oh, it's got a lot of sugar in it. But I challenge you, when was the last time you looked at someone that was overweight and went, oh I think they've eaten far too much fruit. You've eaten too much fruit. Too much apples, too many apples. This person's far too much.

SPEAKER_10: 10:21

I've got the banana and the apple. This is the uh jazz, the jazz apple. Yes. Uh reassuringly expensive. Yes. Uh and the uh now tarnished, but as soon as they come into this building, uh into this particular studio, it tarnishes that bright yellow. 45 minutes have been sitting here, it's the air conditioner above us, I think. Don't know. I'm not sure what does that, but that's the sugars in the right. I don't know what it is. But the browner they are, the more thing around about during the proof.

SPEAKER_09: 10:51

Fruit for night shift workers is absolutely ideal. And you know, we demonise sugar in fruit, but we shouldn't, because of all the nutrients and the goodness and fibre that's actually in it. But a lot of people head to the vending machine because they're looking for that sweet treat, which we crave on night shift for that energy, that glucose. Our body's telling us, Oh, I need energy, I need energy. So hit the vending machine, get the chocolate. But if you just had a handful of blueberries, some strawberries, um, like you've got the banana, the apple, that's all you need. Handful of nuts.

SPEAKER_10: 11:22

Strawberry.

SPEAKER_09: 11:22

Strawberries are good. Strawberries are delicious.

SPEAKER_10: 11:25

Blueberries, I I read Blueberries are so good. Well, but I read somewhere, see everybody has a different opinion about these matters. Very good.

SPEAKER_09: 11:32

And it gets more So you say yes, blueberries are exceptionally good because of the antioxidants in them, particularly for night shifters as well. Because we have very low melatonin in our bloodstream while we're on night shift, and we've got to remember melatonin is actually our cancer eradicator, it's our free radical um eradicator. So, what we want is we want something to help us with that and support us with antioxidants. So the blueberries are ideal. So, one of my suggested snacks for people is a YoPro yoghurt with a handful of blueberries in it. Beautiful. Stir that through the sweet, you get the sweet treat, you get the blueberries, you get the fibre, you're getting all of the good stuff that goes with it. Perfect.

SPEAKER_10: 12:13

Uh if you would like to uh contact Roger, you can do that now. We'll take some calls wherever you are, right across Australia, 133693. Uh, Roger has a former police officer, Vic Pole. Uh 40 plus years uh sensational. We were just uh prior to the just while we were listening to the news, uh you and I had a pretty heated discussion about the idea of uh uh voting systems in Australia. Yeah. And I we've had several calls about it over the uh over the last uh few months about whether or not the voting system that we've adopted for some years really now works in favour of uh getting the right result. The result that people say they want, but they don't get because of uh the voting system, which is this idea of you know trickle-down effect.

SPEAKER_09: 12:57

Yeah, I think it's extremely confusing that you've got um people who can be in power that that were getting preferential votes from a number of other parties. Or and I I just think that if you're gonna vote for a party, you need to vote for that party, and that's it. Right? Or you're voting for the other side of the city. So you either get in you either look if I'm voting for Tony McManus's party, then I'm voting for Tony McManus's party, and I want him in. But then after that, you don't want to vote for anybody else. I don't want to have to vote for anybody else.

SPEAKER_10: 13:26

So you don't have a vote. You in other words, you're then not.

SPEAKER_09: 13:29

I go in and go, I cast my vote, bang, Tony McManus, that's it. This is who I want to run the place. Not oh, but if he doesn't get in, I'll have this person, oh then I'll have this person. And then number three and four and six end up going to the number one.

SPEAKER_10: 13:41

But then you would have no say in who then gets that seat because you've withdrawn your your vote by definition. That's right. And that would be a problem. So that means you don't care enough uh to uh vote for anybody else apart from me. That's right. Wonderful that's a great system. 13693.

SPEAKER_09: 15:21

If I ever stood, had to be. Isn't that a presidential election? Isn't that what they call a presidential election?

SPEAKER_10: 15:26

How's that working out?

SPEAKER_09: 15:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_10: 15:28

133693 is the telephone number. Jump on board, come and have a yak. Look at the text uh uh we did get dumped, you know, uh, because I think you inadvertently, as part of the uh excitement, uh you may you may don't bother because I've done it too. Sometimes in the passion, you go into uh Roger mode and I think you accidentally dropped The worst thing is I don't even realise I did not even realize I did not order a fire truck. Yes, you did. That's exactly what you ordered. Uh when you were involved with or know people that were working with at Triple Zero, uh would people ring for the most outrageous silly things like I've lost my purse, I've lost my wallet?

SPEAKER_09: 16:07

I couldn't begin to tell you the calls, the wasted calls to Triple Zero. Um and the time that that takes up. Well, it's taking up an emergency call taker every single time that someone would call up with, you know, oh I've um my cat's stuck in the tree, or or um uh uh someone stolen my garden gnome or the television's talking to me. No. Oh yeah. The television's talking to me. And we would say to them that that's okay, or television's talking to you, that's what it does, but are you talking back to it? Like the television. The television's talking to you.

SPEAKER_10: 16:44

Now, Pete, what have you lost, Pete, in Adelaide?

SPEAKER_13: 18:09

Hello, I lost my glasses. Oh, yeah. Tony, I spent um nine hours today in Glomog among the algal bloom, and then unfortunately I got off the bus and I've lost them. Yeah. There's a positive to every negative. Yesterday I became engaged.

SPEAKER_10: 18:34

Oh, congratulations, fantastic.

SPEAKER_13: 18:36

Thank you. Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_10: 18:38

We're very happy for it. Um what's what what's what is uh what's her f his or her? It's a him. It's a him. So what's his first name? Well, he's an Indian. Yeah, what's his first name? Well, in English or in Indian? Well, just a well it doesn't matter to me. What do you what do you call him? Bobby. Well, Bobby. Well, there you go, Bobby. Congratulations to you, Pete. That's lovely. There's a problem. There's a problem. Well, there is there always is.

SPEAKER_13: 19:10

The age gap. It's just a number. I just um no, we had a really good Tuesday here in Marlson, and then when I went to Gronel this morning, had a really good day at the Lutheran church, and then when I got him a beast, I lost all sense of uh um direction, etc. Got off the beast in a very good mood now. No glasses.

SPEAKER_10: 19:38

I hate that. Uh well if anybody happens so what colour are they?

SPEAKER_13: 19:43

What the glasses? Yeah, well basic frames, yeah. Yeah. What colour? But the thing, Tony, I can't do anything until tomorrow morning. Okay.

SPEAKER_10: 19:53

Well, I know that. So again, I repeat. Are they indicated? What colour is the right? Give us a bit of detail about the name of the glasses.

SPEAKER_09: 20:02

Describe them for us.

SPEAKER_10: 20:05

Yeah, see if you're a witness in the stand, Pete, and I said to you, uh, just describe for the uh for the jury uh the aforementioned glasses, if you will. This is what they look like.

SPEAKER_13: 20:15

Basic with a silver uh frame.

SPEAKER_10: 20:18

There you go. Is there any label on it? In particular, brand are they uh I don't know, are they a Mani?

SPEAKER_04: 20:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_10: 20:24

Speck Savers. Specs, Speck Savers, nothing wrong with it. Well, you should have gone to Spec Savers. That's right. They're gone, Pete.

SPEAKER_13: 20:35

Were they insured? No, but I'm gonna get into trouble. Mark Asen is gonna be my groomsman at my wedding. Give my give Mark my love. And he's I'm gonna get into trouble, by the way, but it doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_10: 20:50

Give him my love. Well, I hope you find if people happen to find out he has um as their respect savers randomly. Who do they call, Pete? 50A. Oh, right. They'll be called 50A. They'll be thrilled. They'll be thrilled to be part of the O. Get on your feet. Gee, I love this audience. I just love this audience. Fantastic. Now we're the glasses.

SPEAKER_09: 21:14

Well, so this is what happens in the middle of the night. But this is what happens on Triple Zero. If you're trying to draw information out of people, those I I I want to say that the call takers at Triple Zero have the toughest job in the whole chain of getting everything out, the information out of people. In the heat of the moment, people grab their phone, dial 000, and they just want the police or the paramedics there instantly. But what they don't realise is while we're asking the address and we're getting the address out of them, and they're just saying, but I want the police here. Okay, we've got the address now. We always get the address first, but then we want to get the story. What they don't realise is, and this is what people need to understand, as we are taking the detail, that detail is already being relayed to the units out on the road. So it's not holding them up. The fact that you're on the phone still getting the detail doesn't mean that we're waiting until the call hangs up to send someone. That detail really that detail is already being broadcast. So for Amber? Exactly the same for ambulance. So ambulance, the the ambulance call taker. So you call 000, you come to Telstra, Telstra then direct you to either the police, fire, or ambulance. Um and then you get to say you get to a um ambulance call taker. You're talking to the ambulance call taker, the first thing they're going to get is the address. Bang. They just want to confirm the address because if the call drops out or anything happens, we've got somewhere to go. All right, at least. So once we get that detail, then we start getting more and more detail. But people get frustrated with the call taker, thinking, why are you getting all this detail? This is holding us up. It is not holding you up at all. Because the the units on the road are already being directed, the information as it's coming through, and it's refreshing on their screens for them. So as they're driving to the job, more and more information's coming.

SPEAKER_10: 23:06

Well, see, nobody's ever really I've never heard that experience quite like that.

SPEAKER_09: 23:11

Okay, well that's well, there you go. That's something that's important for people to understand so that you know when you call Triple Zero, you are not being held up by the call taker talking to you.

SPEAKER_10: 23:21

Couple of quick calls. Nathan, hi. Hi. Nathan, go ahead. Uh Nathan, we might come back to you. 103693. We'll do this uh your call straight after. Wherever you are, right around Australia, 508 in Adelaide, 3 uh well or the great uh eight Radio Network, of course, uh 3AW here in Melbourne, and of course 6PR in Perth. Great to have your company. Come and join us. 103693 is our telephone number. For those in Perth, uh 103882. So just your normal uh overnight talkback number that will get you through straight away. Roger's on the road. Uh say hi uh to uh the great man uh Roger here who is with us as well, Roger Sutherland, uh talking about night shift and other issues. Go, Roger, morning. Roger, Roger.

SPEAKER_06: 24:08

Good morning, good good evening over here. Um uh Roger, we've got a few Rogers going on here.

SPEAKER_05: 24:15

We have Roger, Roger, Ramjet.

SPEAKER_06: 24:22

That's the way that's I um I uh I was very interested to hear the way that um information is communic um uh consequent uh uh consecutively um conveyed through to the ambulances on the way. Um but um my comment my only comment is that um over here in the west where we're lucky enough to have yet another Labor government, um what that all that means is that the ambulance gets to the ramping much quicker. Um and uh the the other comment is that the um the what what you've just described is is um outlining the efficiency of the St. John's ambulance service over here. And I find it very interesting that when ambulance ramping numbers were being uh publicised over here, um our illustrious previous premier McGowan tried to blame the ambulance service for it uh and not the hospitals which were uh actually to blame.

SPEAKER_09: 25:21

Yeah, but that's a very big it's a thanks for your call. That's a common problem here. I I think I I went to I had to go to the Royal Melbourne the other week um to go for a specialist appointment there, seeing all the ambulances parked at the Royal Melbourne. Yeah, like that's real now, these are all there's you've got to remember there's two crew, two members, ambulance officers on every one of those trucks. Every one of those ambulance.

SPEAKER_10: 25:45

Often people get the government will go into denial about that. You can't deny it. We've been having that conversation in WA for decades.

SPEAKER_09: 25:51

Yep, but you can't deny it's there, and the union speaks about it, then they get sick of actually speaking about it, and it's um it but it needs pushing over and over again. The health in this state, and well obviously what uh Australia wide is in a mess. Um because it's the same, and you've just heard it's the same in Perth, it's the same here. But I I coach paramedics, I've got a number of paramedics, and one of their biggest issues is ramped at hospitals for hours and hours and hours to the stage where um there's just so much downtime for the game. So where's the gap?

SPEAKER_10: 26:25

Where's the gap, Rog? Why is uh what do you reckon's driving that?

SPEAKER_09: 26:31

Lack of beds in the hospitals, lack of staff and lack of beds in the hospitals to be able to efficiently triage people and put them in. Uh uh and the police, what we don't realise is it's not only the paramedics that are ramped, but the police are there as well with mental health um patients as well. That they've got to get in and get assessed. Well, they have to stay with them until the uh doctors have seen them and assess them as well. Half the time they've spent four or five hours waiting with them, doctor assesses them, and then they're back out on the streets again straight away. It's a massive problem.

SPEAKER_10: 27:05

It's an ongoing problem for uh each and every one of us. Uh so it's hardly is Australia certainly not uh uh world best practice, is it? Or is it? I I think compared to other countries. It's very common Would you want to be ill in India? I'm not sure. Would you want to be ill in China? In the UK you wouldn't. Yeah, exactly. It's the same.

SPEAKER_09: 27:24

No. So what we've got, whilst not perfect. We're not prioritising it. Health is very important. Health and law and order and health, if if anybody was to come in with policies around law and order and health, they they would absolutely streak it in.

SPEAKER_10: 27:41

Uh 133693. Come and jump on board. Leanne, you got a quickie for us? Good morning.

SPEAKER_08: 27:46

Yes, I'm calling triple A because I've got an itchy bum and I need an ambulance, and also um I can't win for the last 24 hours.

SPEAKER_09: 27:58

And that's about what we get.

SPEAKER_10: 27:59

So you had you you had your uh how do I describe this, Leah? You had my procedure. Your procedure. How did it go?

SPEAKER_08: 28:06

Very good. I um it removed and getting assessed. Yeah, that's about it.

SPEAKER_10: 28:14

Uh your home safe.

SPEAKER_08: 28:23

Unfortunately, my funny enough. I I'm not sure. I I spoke fixed him earlier and uh he doesn't know they don't know what happened. But yeah, it sounds to me like he might have had an allergy reaction cardiac. I would have thought so.

SPEAKER_10: 28:53

Well, hope he's uh gonna be okay. Lee and thank you. Uh 13693. Now, Mavis, you're a former nurse based in the beautiful little town of uh Balan, not far from Ballarat. Hello to you.

SPEAKER_03: 29:04

Hello to you too. Um, I cannot understand why they don't have a s a room annexed to the ER with just uh a nurse in charge of that room, and it's a waiting room that brings all those patients out of the ambulances, gets the ambulances back on the road, the patients uh are in comf in comfort on um trolleys in the in the waiting room with assistance nearby if urgently needed.

SPEAKER_09: 29:38

But what about the ratio of nurse to patients? That's one of the biggest problems. I I can it makes sense what you say, but the reason why they're ramped is because they've got two paramedics that are giving them 100% attention all the time. So they're being used as the nurses and the treating practitioner until they get seen. And that's why the ambulances are tied up in that position. So this is one of the biggest problems that they actually have around that. And you know, to be able to triage quickly and efficiently and then farm them off into beds is where they they need to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_10: 30:13

But they go so well, we haven't got enough uh people, enough groups, new people coming through, uh uh not enough training, not enough beds, not enough, not enough money, not enough money and staff is the biggest problem that they have.

SPEAKER_09: 30:26

And and and this brings me back to another issue as well. And it's topical, but we're continually to migrate, we're bringing so many people into the country, but we don't have the infrastructure in place, and we're already buckling under what we've got. We're buckling in a big way. Health and and health, in particular, Sunshine Hospital, Fuscro Hospital. Go to these hospitals and have a look at their emergency departments. Um Shabby Or just busy. Busy, just flat out busy all the time. Um and and this is a big problem. Then you've got the ambulances because the you know, everyone gets prioritized, so then you get an ambulance pull-up that's got someone on it that got transported but probably doesn't need urgent attention. But you've got someone that's just a walk in that's got urgent attention, so the paramedic has to take the back seat, and then you've got the police walk in with a um mental health patient that needs assessing as well, and it's a it's a diabolical mess. It really is.

SPEAKER_10: 31:21

And there doesn't see and I don't want to be too dark about this, but what's the light at the end? Is there a light at the end? Is it a is it do we go back to politics? Yep.

SPEAKER_09: 31:32

I I would say that they need to be looking at and pouring the resources into health and law and order. That's where it needs to be. And I I will stand on this hill, I will die on this hill. We don't need the newer roads and underground railways and the roads are in a roads are in appalling condition as well. The roads are. The roads are in a terrible, but why are we building new roads when we can't look after the ones that we've got?

SPEAKER_10: 31:58

Don't start me talking. Uh Mavis, uh you you retired these days, Mavis, obviously?

SPEAKER_03: 32:03

Yes, I'm retired now. I'm far too old.

SPEAKER_10: 32:07

Well, I'm sure, but I'm sure you have uh sort of a uh a real interest in how it's all unfolding.

SPEAKER_03: 32:13

Oh, I certainly do. I certainly do.

SPEAKER_10: 32:17

How long did you work as a nurse, Mavis?

SPEAKER_03: 32:20

Pardon?

SPEAKER_10: 32:21

How long were you a nurse?

SPEAKER_03: 32:23

Oh my god. Uh 1970 to 2010.

SPEAKER_10: 32:30

Wow, wonderful. Forty years ago. Yeah, that's amazing. Do you miss it at all, Mavis?

SPEAKER_03: 32:35

Yes, very much.

SPEAKER_09: 32:37

I bet. You miss the commandery with the people that have got a common interest with you, don't you?

SPEAKER_03: 32:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_09: 32:43

Yes. What what was your what is it you actually miss?

SPEAKER_03: 32:49

Um, I I miss the interaction with people. Yes. I miss not being able to help people.

SPEAKER_09: 32:57

Um that's tremendous.

SPEAKER_03: 32:59

I I'm the go-to person in the block of units here.

SPEAKER_09: 33:02

Oh better. Yeah, of course. I bet I can name what you don't miss. I bet one thing I could name what you do not miss at all.

SPEAKER_06: 33:10

What's that?

SPEAKER_09: 33:10

The swing shift. The swing shift. See, you smile. Yeah. That's it's the devil, isn't it, the swing shift?

SPEAKER_03: 33:19

Yes, I can remember I can remember getting up one morning thinking I was on a six I was on a six o'clock start, six a.m. start, and I jumped up and flew out of bed, and I had mis misread the clock. It was wasn't five past six, it was half past one in the morning.

SPEAKER_09: 33:40

Oh no. Yeah. Gee, we've done that. Now can I just say this though, with with the nurses, nurses in particular doing those swing shifts. Now, when we talk of swing shifts to explain to people, they're working until eleven o'clock at night, and then they're on again at seven o'clock in the morning. Now, by the time they wind down, finish drive home, they do their handover at eleven o'clock, get changed, drive home, or drive home. Then they're terrified that they're not going to wake up, so they get sleep anxiety and don't sleep properly, which is exactly what was just talked about. You know, an alarm goes off and you're terrified, you think you're going to miss out, so you jump out of bed, you've misread the clock, it's only five past one instead of five past six. Then you've got to get up and then you've got to go back to work again. My my question to you is would you want to be the patient that that person's looking after at seven o'clock in the morning?

SPEAKER_10: 34:29

It's a great question. I don't know the answer. 133693. Mavis, we salute you.

SPEAKER_03: 34:35

Oh, yeah, please salute me.

SPEAKER_09: 34:37

Like really well done.

SPEAKER_03: 34:38

I enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_10: 34:38

Good on you. Thank you very much. Ian Holbrook in New South Wales. Hello, Mark.

SPEAKER_01: 34:44

Good morning, boys. Just a question in regards to the ambulance service.

SPEAKER_10: 34:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_01: 34:48

So I heard on Melbourne Radio this uh I heard on Melbourne Radio this morning an old gentleman and his wife collapsed and fell on the floor. He rang Triple Zero for an ambulance. It's not a priority job, but why wouldn't you ring a family member or a neighbour? My question is to what are we doing as a community? If we get a car license, we should have first aid. And that'll take at least 20% of the pressure off the ambulances. Like my wife just rang me, my son's got a temperature of 40 degrees or 17. She's had to take him to the hospital. Right and call the ambulance, even though the ambulance cover, she's taken him there. But a GP in the morning would be good, but GP services aren't open 24-7. No. And most of the communities, particular migrants, they don't have GPs where they come from. They just go straight to hospitals. That's the mentality you've got to deal with. I believe if everyone had first aid, it would help the system.

SPEAKER_09: 35:42

That is such a valid point. That is cultural as well. They go straight to a hospital. They don't they don't think of anything else other than we've got to go to hospital. So that's why the hospitals are full of These people. Um, and it causes them all sorts of problems. I also agree with what you're saying as well. There needs to be more education around when you call triple zero, not just call triple zero. Because when you're calling triple zero for an ingrown toenail because you want to ride to a hospital because you think you won't get seen. You're telling me that people would do that. Oh, absolutely. They do this all the time. And you know the thing with the ambulance, they won't decline it. They will they will take the job. The call taker gets tied up taking all the event. Remember, got to get the address. Then they've got to step through the whole process of getting to the root of the problem, whatever the problem is, and continually going until they get there. And then it gets goes to a senior paramedic to look at the job, assess the job. Do we need to go to this? We'll make a phone call. They make a phone call. Do we not? All this is time that's taken. And people ring with a stomach upset. They ring with, and when I say an ingrown toenail, I've sprained my wrist or I've got a problem here. You know, we need to learn when we need an ambulance. And the point that's just been made is a really good point. Culturally, they go straight to hospital because they don't have all the other services available to them. I wonder if people in Lifeline would have similar sort of stories to tell. Yep, absolutely they do.

SPEAKER_10: 37:11

133693. We've got to do this when we come back. Uh Alan, Nathan Judge, we'll come to you. It's all part of Australia overnight. Look at all these wonderful texts, Rob says. So we've got a clearance. Clarence. Yeah, got a clearance. Victor, Victor. Roger, Roger. Roger, Roger. Uh Roger, I bet you get some absolute doozy during the Triple Zero when it's a full moon. Does it? Because the full moon, you say the full moon is a thing. It is.

SPEAKER_09: 37:31

Anybody that works in emergency services.

SPEAKER_10: 37:34

Scientists wouldn't say it's a thing, but those that are on the ground's a thing.

SPEAKER_09: 37:37

That's where the term lunatic comes from. Lunatic. That's where it comes from. But um funny words, uh, you talk about funny stories. I can tell you, if you're driving to work on night shift and the full moon is in front of you, you just feel like turning around and going straight back again. Oh no. There is an absolute any nurse will tell you that there is an absolute correlation between the full moon and the type of people that we have.

SPEAKER_10: 38:02

Uh we uh quote staffing issues yet. 2,000 graduate nurses funded by the Victorian taxpayer. There are no positions for them.

SPEAKER_09: 38:09

That I yes, this is a massive problem.

SPEAKER_10: 38:11

Hospitals need more staff, uh, just does not make sense. Taxpayers want their money spent on things like health or law and order. Another example, Victorian government having the wrong priorities. Yep.

SPEAKER_09: 38:21

Why are we focusing on big project bills that are not as anywhere near as important as health and law and order? I don't understand it. Well and I don't think the public understand it.

SPEAKER_10: 38:33

No, they well, no, they probably don't. So what's in it for government that uh they're doing what they think is going to get them re-elected? Presumably. And in oh and I've said this before, in if there was a if there was an election coming up this weekend in in Victoria, in South Australia, in WA, the existing government most likely would be re-elected.

SPEAKER_09: 38:55

Yeah, but I don't I not on merit.

SPEAKER_10: 38:57

Now, are you gonna say merit has nothing to do with it? They would be re-elected.

SPEAKER_09: 39:01

Oh, well they okay, well, they would be probably re-elected, but it's only because of the system, not because of the person.

SPEAKER_10: 39:07

Democracy. Yep. So fling democracy. You've gone down that track now. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_09: 39:13

Oh dear. I I I look, I I just I you well, you know what my point is in relation to it. Um and and there's been a lot of discussion. Uh it's the same in South Australia, it's the same in West Australia. They they are all sitting there wanting to know how the person that's in charge is actually in charge with such power to do the things that they're doing and how they're going about it. Um you voted them in. You voted them in. You voted them in. Uh Alan Coolaroo, hi.

SPEAKER_02: 39:41

I was gonna bring up about the emergency apartments, but the chap in Holbrook brought it up. That we're so multicultural when you go there and he's full of every nationality because they'd rather go to a hospital than a GP.

SPEAKER_09: 39:58

Yes, correct. And this is the problem. And that's why it's so.

SPEAKER_10: 40:02

It's part of the problem. How do we explain to everybody that's not the way to go? How do we is that about education? Is that the role of government to educate people if if you're unwell, these are your options. The options not just to go to an emergency via an ambulance or whatever.

SPEAKER_09: 40:16

No, that's right. You go to any emergency department, wander around any emergency department, and have a look at the culture of the people that are actually filling the emergency departments.

SPEAKER_00: 40:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09: 40:25

Uh Nathan, you wanted to say hello?

SPEAKER_00: 40:27

Hello, sorry about it before I was my phone just got cut out.

SPEAKER_04: 40:31

Yep.

SPEAKER_00: 40:32

Um there's a question. Why do the ambulance always call you guys if they have a problem with with a patient?

SPEAKER_09: 40:42

Well, now that is a very valid point as well, because that was one of my jobs when I worked at Triple Zero Um as a police supervisor. That the paramedics would they don't have security guards and they're not there to be belted up. And that's so what they want is they want the security of the police there to support them. And look, they're brothers and sisters out on the road at the same time doing the same job. So we go and support them. Those relationships historically very important and good, extremely strong. But I I will say that I think since um and this is through communication, like I know when I was working the road and I was around, we adored our paramedics and the water fairies. We'd call them the water fairies. The water fairies. That's what they are, the water the water fairies.

SPEAKER_10: 41:24

You're referring to the great fire rescue people.

SPEAKER_09: 41:26

The fire rescue people. Yeah, great.

SPEAKER_10: 41:28

The water fairies. Well, you know what are they called, what do they call coppers?

SPEAKER_09: 41:33

I don't know, but it's a it's an ongoing battle between the two all the time, and uh there was nothing more satisfying than putting your lights and sirens on as you're driving past the fire station at two o'clock in the morning. But you know, because they're sleeping. I think we resent the fact that they're there getting paid and they're sleeping and they're working out in the gym during their shifts while the van crew's getting flogged on the road. They're sleeping. Well, they are. They're not sleeping. The fire brigade, you say, are they absolutely? No, they're not. They are absolutely categorically the fire brigade is sleeping on night shifts.

SPEAKER_10: 42:04

I'm doing uh I'm doing a couple of uh nights early next year on duty, doing a couple of uh with uh fire rescue Victoria.

SPEAKER_09: 42:12

So you'll be sleeping. No. You will absolutely be sleeping. They have to rest and reclare. Police and station?

SPEAKER_10: 42:17

No. Okay. You're in for a shot. Well, you can't. I'll tell you now, take a sleeping bag. You come with me, we'll do it together. Okay. Take a sleeping bag because you'll need it. Uh Bronny in South Yara. Hello, Bronny.

SPEAKER_11: 42:30

Uh hi boys. Listen, the reason a lot of people go straight to the hospital, in my opinion, is they virtually don't pay anything for it.

SPEAKER_04: 42:38

Correct.

SPEAKER_11: 42:39

I mean, if you went to an that's exactly it. So now they should have to pay. That's why the Alfred's going broke, everyone's going broke. They should have to pay like they would have to go to a doctor.

SPEAKER_09: 42:49

There you go, fee based. It's it's actually uh that's now that comes from someone you're passionate about it. Have you have you got any involvement in the industry at all?

SPEAKER_11: 42:58

Um, look, I I've got a nephew that works at the Alfred, he tells me all the stories about what goes on in there. These people know uh if they're not near a bulk billing, for example, and it's not open, you go straight to a hospital, you get free treatment, you get food if you need it. You know what I mean? Um just telling you.

SPEAKER_10: 43:17

So anecdotally, Bronny, you feel uh some of them are actually taking the piss.

SPEAKER_09: 43:20

Yep, they are. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_11: 43:21

Oh, absolute racket.

SPEAKER_10: 43:23

There you go. Stay there, we're gonna do this. We'll come back in just a moment. It is Australia Overnight. I'm Tony McManus. Roger Sutherland is here. It is uh a little segment we call what do we call it? A healthy shift. A healthy shift. Uh it's Australia Overnight. Come and join us 133693. What we've learned, of course, is that the uh triple O thing is really uh quite extraordinary. Uh and nobody's ever explained that, certainly to me, that that data is being downloaded as soon as you really are making that phone call uh and you've given presumably uh fundamental details, it's already been downloaded. It's already been given out. It's already on its way. And even whilst you might be panicking, you might be taking take the breath, but it's already in motion.

SPEAKER_09: 44:05

Listen to the call taker is what I say. Listening to the call take it is.

SPEAKER_10: 44:10

So do I. You go have a select.

SPEAKER_09: 44:12

I'm gonna I'd better wait till 2.30.

SPEAKER_10: 44:16

Yes, okay. All right, morning. Okay, all right, okay. It is a straight or overnight, uh your call straight after this. Don't go away.