The first State Budget of the Rockliff-Ferguson Government must address the on-going crisis engulfing the ambulance service which continues to have a devastating effect on paramedics, volunteers and Tasmanians needing help in emergencies.
Ambulance response times have blown out by 30 per cent under the Liberal Government and Tasmania has the worst response times in the country.
It is a sad, unacceptable fact that Tasmanians are dying waiting for an ambulance.
Paramedics and volunteers have been left without the resources they urgently need to ensure there are no more avoidable deaths.
The Rockliff-Ferguson Government has done nothing to address the serious problems that were identified in the resilience scan of Ambulance Tasmania staff undertaken in 2021.
Three years ago a Federal Senate Inquiry into the mental health of first responders released 14 recommendations but to date just one has been implemented by the Tasmanian Liberal Government.
Meantime, paramedics and volunteer ambulance officers in Tasmania remain under unprecedented pressure, dealing with unfilled shifts, fatigue alerts and a lack of resources.
On Thursday the Rockliff-Ferguson Government releases its Budget and there is no excuse for not providing increased funding to ensure our paramedics and volunteers are given better resources and mental health support and to fix ambulance ramping across the state.
Anita Dow MP
Shadow Health Minister
