Ambulance Services for Children and Young People in WA
The project
This project aims to better understand ambulance attendances for children and young people (aged 0-17 years) in Western Australia.
Using ambulance service records, researchers at Curtin will examine when and why ambulances are called for children and young people, whether they are transported to hospital, and patterns of ambulance attendance across Australia. They also hope to explore factors such as age, location, repeat ambulance attendances, and trends over time.
The project is being developed in partnership with ambulance service providers, clinicians and consumers to ensure it addresses questions that are important to children, young people, families and healthcare providers.
By improving an understanding of how ambulance services are used by children and young people, the research teams hopes to identify opportunities to improve ambulance care, healthcare planning and outcomes for children and families in Western Australia.
The involvement opportunity
The research team are seeking:
- Parents, grandparents or carers of a child who has had an ambulance attend within the past few years, regardless of whether the child was taken to hospital; and/or
- Young people currently aged 14-18 years who have personally experienced an ambulance attendance within the past few years.
You will be invited to attend one 90-minute discussion session in July 2026. Two sessions will be offered (one face-to-face and one online), and you may choose the option that best suits.
The sessions will be facilitated by an experienced consumer representative and attended by members of the research team. Consumers will be invited to share their perspectives on ambulance attendance for children and young people, including what factors influence decisions to call an ambulance, what outcomes matter most to families, and what questions they believe are important for future research.
Discussions will be recorded and notes will be taken to help capture key themes. Individual comments will not be attributed to consumers by name.
Feedback from consumers will help shape the research project from the beginning. This includes informing the grant application, refining the research questions and priorities, and ensuring the project focuses on issues that are important to children, young people and families in Western Australia. The findings from the project may be used to inform future improvements in ambulance services and healthcare planning.
Skills and experience
No previous research experience, healthcare experience or scientific knowledge is required. People from all backgrounds, occupations and life experiences are welcome.
To be eligible, you should be:
- A parent, grandparent or carer of a child who had an ambulance attend in Western Australia on or after 1 January 2024, regardless of whether the child was transported to hospital; and/or
- A young person currently aged 14-18 years who personally required an ambulance attendance in Western Australia on or after 1 January 2024.
The ambulance attendance may have been for any illness, injury or other medical reason.
Discussion session will be conducted in English.
Other information
Consumers from metro, regional and remote areas of Western Australia are welcome. An online session will be offered to support participation from people who are unable to attend in person.
Consumers will be invited to attend one 90-minute discussion session. Involvement is voluntary, and consumers may withdraw at any time.
An honorarium of $50/hour will be offered
Applications close 6 July 2026