A significant budget commitment of $1.76 billion over four years will be set aside in this month’s state budget,including funding for an extra 210 ambulance support staff as well as 52 nurses and eight doctors.
Ambulances are increasingly tied up in queues at hospitals and unable to respond to emergencies.Robert Pearce
The state’s paramedics have been increasingly warning that lives are at risk as demand outstrips available resources,with at least 500 more triple-zero ambulance calls being made each day than before the pandemic.
Ambulances are also consistently “ramped” – where paramedics are stuck outside hospitals waiting hours to offload patients – at some of Sydney’s south-east hospitals including St George,Prince of Wales and St Vincent’s.
The Health Services Union has said the state needed 2000 extra paramedics to keep up with demand.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the funding would deliver NSW Ambulance the largest paramedic workforce in Australia.
“Ambulance services across Australia are experiencing unprecedented demand but this funding will ensure NSW is well placed for the challenges ahead,” Perrottet said.
“The investment will help increase capacity both in terms of available paramedics to respond to patients,and available staff to help answer the record volume of calls.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the government would continue its spending on ambulance infrastructure,so the larger workforce had access to the best facilities.
“NSW Ambulance,the Health Services Union and the NSW government have worked collaboratively ensuring we get the right number of paramedics,in the right places,when and where needed. This massive boost to paramedics,we believe,will make a positive difference,” Hazzard said.
NSW Health has estimated the state’s ambulance service received an average of 3300 calls per day before the pandemic hit. In April,the network responded to 116,000 cases,an average of 3860 cases each day.
Bureau of Health Information data from the April to June 2018 quarter NSW Ambulance received about 281,400 calls,or an average of 3090 a day. Doctors are also bracing for further pressure on hospitals during winter as pent-up demand after the pandemic,elective surgery backlogs,and an influx of flu and other respiratory illness puts further pressure on an already struggling system.
Health Services Union national president Gerard Hayes said ambulance ramping was one “symptom of a broken health system”.
“We need at least 2000 extra paramedics to be able to cope with rising demand,” Hayes said last month.
The system has been under such stress that NSW Ambulance began reviewing “an alternate transport option” to healthcare services,such as transporting some triple-zero callers to general practitioners or pharmacists if they are assessed as having conditions that do not need an urgent ambulance response.
Growing pressure on the ambulance service also comes as doctors warn emergency departments are so overcrowded that patients are routinely being treated in corridors.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said the pandemic has made it clear continued investment in front-line healthcare workers was crucial.
“We are always thankful for the outstanding commitment,compassion and tireless efforts of our ambulance staff but especially throughout the pandemic,” Kean said.
Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said the investment in ambulance infrastructure and workforce would also boost services in regional and rural areas.
“This funding will bring more jobs to the regions,provide a nicer working environment for local paramedics and,most importantly,help us to save lives,” Taylor said.
The first of the 30 new stations will be built at Warilla,Kincumber,Lisarow,Gateshead,Swansea,Cherrybrook,Raby and Narellan in the coming year,with 22 more stations over the following three years.