Media release – Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Health, 21 April 2022
More paramedics and 24/7 support for Huonville ambulance station
In a boost for the Huon region, the Government will recruit additional paramedics for the Huonville ambulance station that will see fully qualified paramedic crews on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Tasmanian Government is continuing to deliver the healthcare Tasmanians expect and deserve, and with the growing population of Huonville and the surrounding areas, the demands on the local ambulance resources are predicted to increase.
This investment, to be funded in the 2022-23 Budget, will accommodate the expected increase in demand and deliver four new additional full-time paramedics for the Huon region, ensure the community has the health services it needs for the future.
It’s another important milestone in our commitment to Tasmania’s health system that has delivered more funding, more staffing and more health services than any previous government.
At the last election we committed to an additional 48 paramedics across the State, with 44 of these now filled, and the remainder of the positions being actively recruited.
We have also provided $9 million to upgrade our ambulance fleet and deliver contemporary equipment our paramedics nee, which will deliver 30 new ambulance vehicles in this financial year alone.
These new vehicles will be equipped with best-practice systems and the build and fit-out will be completed right here in Tasmania.
I do want to thank the hardworking volunteer ambulance officers at Huonville who have done an outstanding job supporting their local community, and Ambulance Tasmania will work with them to ensure they have an important, ongoing role in our Community moving forward.
Tasmanian’s priorities are our priorities, and this investment once again confirms our commitment to investing more into the areas Tasmanians care about like health, education, housing and community infrastructure.
Media release – Anita Dow MP, Shadow Health Minister, 21 April 2022
24/7 ambulance stations needed around Tasmania
The Rockliff-Ferguson government’s announcement of 24/7 operating hours for the Huonville ambulance station is nowhere near enough to support our paramedics or to improve Tasmanians access to emergency health care.
While the addition of four paramedics and the extension of the station’s operating hours will be welcome in the Huon region, it is a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed to lift ambulance response times around the state and to ease pressure on our overstretched paramedics.
Ambulance response times in Tasmania are the worst in the country. In fact ambulance waiting times in Tasmania have increased by 30 per cent since the Liberals were elected.
This increase in waiting times is through no fault of our dedicated paramedics, who work under extreme pressure every shift due to under-resourcing.
They need effective support and resourcing to do their jobs safely and for Tasmanians to receive timely emergency care.
We regularly hear from people in regional areas about local ambulances being diverted to attend emergencies outside their communities, sometimes leaving vulnerable patients waiting for treatment for hours.
Labor has been calling for years for better resourcing, including 24/7 ambulance stations around the state, to give better support to our paramedics and volunteer paramedics and to improve emergency services for all Tasmanians.
The Rockliff-Ferguson government needs to outline its plan to invest in our paramedics and ambulance stations and commit to providing a comprehensive 24/7 ambulance service in all regions of Tasmania, not just one area about to go to a Legislative Council election.
Tasmanians need better leadership when it comes to emergency services and it’s time the Rockliff-Ferguson Government showed some heart and delivered.
