“NSW Ambulance, the Health Services Union and the NSW government have worked together to ensure we get the right number of paramedics, in the right places, when and where we need to. We believe this massive push for paramedics will make a difference. positive, “Hazzard said.
Loading
NSW Health has estimated that the state’s ambulance service received an average of 3300 calls a day before the pandemic arrived. In April, the network responded to 116,000 cases, an average of 3,860 cases each day.
Data from the Office of Health Information for the quarter April to June 2018 NSW Ambulance received about 281,400 calls, or an average of 3,090 a day. Doctors are also preparing for more pressure on hospitals over the winter, as accumulated demand after the pandemic, delays in elective surgeries and an influx of flu and other respiratory diseases put more pressure on a system that he is already in trouble.
National Health Services Union President Gerard Hayes said the ambulance ramp was a “symptom of a broken health care system.”
“We need at least 2,000 additional paramedics to be able to cope with rising demand,” Hayes said last month.
The system has been so stressful that NSW Ambulance has begun reviewing “an alternative transportation option” to health services, such as transporting some people who call triple zero to GPs or pharmacists if they are assessed to have conditions that do not require a urgent ambulance response. .
Increasing pressure on ambulance service also occurs when doctors warn that emergency services are so crowded that patients are routinely cared for in the aisles.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said the pandemic has made it clear that continued investment in front-line health workers was crucial.
“We are always grateful for the commitment, compassion and tireless efforts of our ambulance staff, but especially during the pandemic,” Kean said.
Regional Health Minister Bronnie Taylor said investment in ambulance infrastructure and labor would also increase services in regional and rural areas.
Loading
“This funding will bring more jobs to the regions, provide a more enjoyable work environment for local paramedics, and most importantly, help us save lives,” Taylor said.
The first of 30 new stations will be built in Warilla, Kincumber, Lisarow, Gateshead, Swansea, Cherrybrook, Raby and Narellan next year, with 22 more stations over the next three years.