Frontline emergency care across NSW has received a significant boost, with an additional 817 paramedics starting on road with NSW Ambulance since the start of the Strategic Workforce and Infrastructure Team (SWIFT) Program.
This forms part of the Minns Labor Government's commitment to strengthen essential health services by strengthening the workforce.
These additional paramedics provide life-saving emergency and mobile health care across the state and are based out of ambulance stations across regional and metro NSW, including in:
- Western Sydney
- South Western Sydney
- Nepean Blue Mountains
- Illawarra and Shoalhaven
- Southern NSW
- New England
- Central Coast
- Northern NSW and Mid-North Coast
- Hunter
- Central West
The SWIFT Program is delivering 2,500 additional NSW Ambulance staff and 30 new ambulance stations, including the Minns Labor Government's commitment to deliver 500 additional paramedics to regional and rural areas.
The Minns Labor Government is getting on with the job of rebuilding health services, including by:
- Delivering a historic pay rise and professional recognition for paramedics;>
- Implementing ratios in our emergency departments;
- Saving 1,112 nurses which the Liberal Government planned to sack;
- Abolishing the wages cap and delivering the largest wage increase to healthcare workers in a decade;
- Supporting our future health workforce through providing them with study subsidies; and
- Investing $274 million to deliver an additional 250 healthcare workers at upgraded hospitals left with inadequate staff by the previous government.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Ryan Park:
"The NSW Government is investing in frontline emergency health care with more paramedics right across the state.
"With an additional 817 paramedics already on the road, local communities are seeing a real difference.
"We are investing in our frontline workers, so we can continue to deliver the high-quality health care the people of NSW deserve."
Quotes attributable to HSU NSW Secretary Gerard Hayes:
"Our paramedics are critical to the communities they look after, especially in regional and rural areas where medical help can often be hundreds of kilometres away.
"We welcome these new paramedics, who will also ease pressure on the workforce who are working so hard to save lives day in and day out."
Quotes attributable to NSW Ambulance Chief Executive Dr Dominic Morgan:
"These additional paramedics across NSW will enable our highly trained clinicians to deliver better health outcomes for patients.
"As demand for our services continues to grow across the state, we remain committed to providing the right care, in the right place at the right time now and into the future."
