Today's Health system dashboard update - released late on the afternoon before a public holiday - shows that Tasmanians are waiting longer for ambulances than ever before.
The shocking median emergency response time in December 2022 was up to a staggering 15.9 minutes, a 1.3 minute jump since November 2022.
Tasmanians are now waiting two minutes longer than they were one year ago for ambulances to arrive.
This is not acceptable, particularly given the ongoing issues with unfilled shifts, ramping and bed block across Tasmania.
One of the first things Labor would do if elected would be to make the 97 current temporary paramedics permanent.
This is such an easy thing to do and would help to attract and retain staff: to stop them leaving to obtain more secure work.
Labor has already highlighted part-time Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff's failure to deliver his ambulance station and clinical service master plan by November last year as he promised.
The Premier and his Government remains focussed on the wrong priorities, instead placing all their effort into building a stadium in Hobart that we don't need, and can't afford.
It's clear Tasmania needs more resources for our ambulance services.
The Liberals need to detail how they will fix this crisis. If they can't do this themselves, they are welcome to use Labor's policy.
Anita Dow MP
Shadow Minister for Health
