Coroner links ambulance wait times to two elderly deaths in Darwin

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage determined that ambulance response delays contributed to the deaths of two elderly Darwin residents who waited six and five hours, respectively, for paramedics. The 80-year-old man fell at home and was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital after a six-hour wait, where he died later that day. The 89-year-old woman fell in a nursing home, waited until evening before being moved to a wheelchair, and arrived at the hospital after a five-hour delay, dying eleven days later.

St John NT said all crews were already committed to higher-acuity cases and that limited ambulance availability caused the postponements. The agency highlighted a 37.7% rise in demand since 2020 and a $10 million government investment, but warned that additional funding is needed to close the capacity gap.