The first of 74 new paramedics are on the road, ready to boost emergency care and support across South Australia.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing said the Marshall Liberal Government has acted swiftly to bolster the workforce following a landmark agreement reached in May.
"The SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) has recruited an additional 16 graduate paramedics in August as part of the recruitment, doubling the normal intake of interns for August," said Minister Wade.
"These new recruits are the first of an additional 74 FTEs the Marshall Liberal Government is recruiting to meet the ongoing health care needs of South Australians.
"We are committed to relieving pressure on our health system by boosting the number of paramedics on the road, and we are working with the union to deliver critical roster reform to better align ambulance availability with ambulance demand.
"The Marshall Liberal Government is boosting capacity right across our health system with a record $7.4 billion investment in health, including a $1 billion hospital build program, to help fix ramping, ease pressure on hospital emergency departments and deliver quality health care for South Australians, closer to home.
"I welcome these new paramedics to the team and, on behalf of all South Australians, express my appreciation for their commitment to protecting the community both now and into the future."
All 32 interns are guaranteed a full-time paramedic position at SAAS following their internship. Their recruitment will support a new additional roster model, comprising a day, afternoon, and night shift over three days in place of the existing 12-hour shifts, which run over four days, across day and night.
Roster reform has been a key sticking point in the agreement with the Ambulance Employees Association, with the union keen to see longer shifts remain.
SAAS Executive Director of Operations, Rob Elliott, who takes on the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer next week, said that the Service had fast-tracked an additional intake of 16 paramedics who will be further backed by a 'super group' of interns in October.
"These new recruits have just completed their paramedicine university degree, they've undertaken induction training with us, and they now hit the road, ready and keen to support our patients. I congratulate them on their fantastic achievements and welcome them to SAAS," said Mr Elliott.
"Our ability to provide emergency care to the community is strengthened by additional resourcing and is particularly important for us in peak periods of demand."
Another 21 staff completed their internships earlier this month and have been added to the paramedic workforce in SAAS.
Recruitment for the remaining 58 of the extra 74 FTE is expected to be complete by April next year. 24 of the new positions are planned to bolster the ambulance workforce in the rural communities of Whyalla, Ceduna, Coober Pedy and Port Augusta.
"There are still challenging times ahead, we know that more staff alone is not going to solve the issues we're facing, and we look forward to broader service improvements too." said Mr Elliott.
New recruit paramedic Louise said she was proud to step into the green uniform.
"Paramedicine is a highly competitive field and I'm so proud of being apart of SAAS," said Louise.
"I was thrilled that there are so many Paramedic Internship positions available and that I got the call up to join the team. It's great that SAAS has been able to take so many more graduates this year.
"Being from SA, I have always dreamed of one day joining SAAS – I love helping others and making a difference."
The 74 new FTE and 21 new interns complement the extra 187 full-time equivalent staff employed in SAAS in the first two years since the 2018 election, according to the independent Auditor- General's figures. This includes paramedics, emergency support ambulance officers, clinical telephone assessment paramedics and patient transport officers.
