Felix Ellis’s hairbrained idea to train children alongside our hardworking first responders demonstrates the Liberals have not been listening to our paramedic workforce.
The Liberals have shown little regard for the stress and trauma our paramedics see and face each day – cardiac arrests, sick and injured children, motor vehicle accidents and death.
The job is incredibly unpredictable. Where is the duty of care to protect our young people from seeing this trauma? Did Mr Ellis even consult with paramedics regarding this program?
Our paramedic workforce is completely under resourced and any remaining goodwill has all but been exhausted. This program will just add to the pressures they are working under.
From 5pm last night, there were no ambulance crews between Glenorchy and Ouse and Glenorchy and Oatlands. In one instance, an ambulance was ramped for 10 hours at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
The communications team was left understaffed and paramedic crews from across the North and North-West were also put under pressure from being under resourced.
If the Liberals were serious about providing more resources to our paramedics, they should have employed additional paramedics across the state and made those on short-term or casual contracts permanent.
In 10 years, ambulance ramping has more than doubled and response times have blown out from 11.4 minutes in 2014 to 14.9 minutes in 2024
If the Liberals haven’t fixed these issues in 10 years they never will. Don’t give them 14.
Labor’s Paramedics Plan for a Better Future will ensure Tasmanians can access emergency care when they need it, by implementing the Ambulance Expert Review in full by 2032.
As part of this, we will employ 168 permanent paramedics across the state, including 88 by mid-2025.
Only a Labor Government will give Tasmanians a better future.
Anita Dow MP
Shadow Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing
