AGY-2487 | New South Wales Ambulance Service

Full description

The Ambulance Services Act (No.72, 1976) transferred the responsibility for providing ambulance services to the Health Commission of New South Wales, thereby abolishing the New South Wales Ambulance Board , the statutory body which had previously presided over the services since 1972. (1) The New South Wales Ambulance service operated within a program known as 'Health Transport and Emergency Services'. Here the service continued to provide first aid and transport to the ill and injured both by road and air, to plan towards coping with medical disasters and to work co-operatively with the Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service.

The Air Ambulance Service continued as a distinct unit within the service, and from 1977 improved co-ordination between the Air Ambulance and the Rural Aerial Health Service commenced and both services sought closer liaison with the Royal Flying Doctor Service. (2)

On 17 December, 1982 the Health Conmmisison of New South Wales was abolished and the service was transferred to the Health Department where it continued to operate as a branch until 1 July, 1990 when the Ambulance Service of New South Wales was established as a statutory body under the Ambulance Services Act, 1990. (3)

Footnotes
(1) Ambulance Services Act, 1976 s. 5
(2) Health Commisison of New South Wales Annual Report for the year ended 30 June, 1977 p. 30 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1976-77-78 volume 7 p, 844
(3) Ambulance Services Act, 1990 (Act no. 16, 1990)