Paramedics will again implement statewide bans this week to demand better resources for their communities and better pay and conditions.
From Tuesday morning Paramedics will place a 24 hour ban on staff movements and undertaking scheduled non-urgent transfers.
"Our members don't take this action lightly, but we are at our wits end. For years Paramedics have advocated for better conditions and safe resourcing levels, but our demands have been ignored." said APA (NSW) Assistant Secretary, Alan O'Riordan, a paramedic and nurse based in Sydney.
"This Government is putting Paramedics and their communities at risk every single day they choose not to act" said Mr O'Riordan.
"Our members voted overwhelmingly in favour of this industrial action. This is a show of their dedication to their comrades and communities."
The recent Bureau of Health Information Quarterly Report showed response times climbing to their worst ever in the October-December quarter. The Australian Paramedics Association (NSW) says residents should be alarmed over worsening response times described in the report as 'continuing a gradual downward trend over five years'.
"Our health system is in crisis; we are seeing massive levels of burnout amongst healthcare staff including our paramedics and nurses. Each year our patients are waiting longer and longer for an ambulance and then a hospital bed. Despite this, the NSW Government has refused to lift a finger to try and address these issues." Said Mr O'Riordan
Paramedics are demanding that the NSW Government urgently invest in 1,500 extra Paramedics to bring per capita staffing into line with comparable states; and are also demanding better pay to keep staff in the job.
