A re-elected majority Liberal Government will undertake the biggest ever recruitment blitz of paramedics in Tasmanian history - commencing immediately.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the Liberals' 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future was all about taking more action right now on issues affecting Tasmanians, particularly health.
"We are going to kick off the biggest ever recruitment blitz for paramedics in Tasmania's history, to secure more lifesaving care for Tasmanians," Premier Rockliff said.
"We will recruit a total of 78 new full paramedics - 51 new full-time paramedics over the next two years, and 27 community paramedics over the next four years.
"Along with the additional 44 ED doctors and 25 ED nurses at the Royal Hobart Hospital I announced on Sunday, this will help back-in our Plan to effectively ban ambulance ramping across the State.
"The 51 full time paramedics will work in key demand areas including 24 in Greater Hobart, 12 in Launceston/West Tamar, six in Cygnet, six in Snug, and three in Smithton.
"The 27 community paramedics will focus on rural and regional areas, quadrupling our team of specialists who can care for Tasmanians in their own homes.
"They will work across 13 rural hospitals; Smithton, King Island, Queenstown, Scottsdale, George Town, St Helens, Campbell Town, Beaconsfield, Oatlands, New Norfolk, St Mary's, Deloraine and Tasman, and take walk-ins at the regional hospitals too.
"Our paramedics are real-life heroes who can be the difference between life and death.
"Already, since we were elected, we have tripled funding to Ambulance Tasmania and employed an additional 220 paramedics and dispatch officers.
"But, we know that there is more to do. That's why we are taking immediate action to ensure that in their time of need, Tasmanians will have more paramedics there to help."
Minister for Health, Guy Barnett, said this was a real and immediate investment in health, unlike Labor's hoax.
"Our Strong Plan to save lives is fully costed, fully funded and will deliver action right now to deliver more paramedics to save the lives of Tasmanians," he said.
"In addition to the 78 new full-time paramedics, we will also build four new ambulance stations at Legana, Cygnet, Snug, and King Island to accommodate our extra paramedics and meet community demand.
"Plus, we will invest in an extra 180 defibrillators adding to the 360 we've already delivered in the past decade, to help save more lives across the state.
"Meanwhile, Labor is promising to hire 168 paramedics, but not until 2032 - 10 years, and three elections away. And there's no mention of how they'll pay for it.
"For the past decade, we have been rebuilding Tasmania's health system since it was gutted by the Labor-Green minority.
"We are taking real action, right now, including record investments across our major hospitals, employing more emergency staff, efffectively banning ramping and our GP Guarantee.
"With our 2030 Strong Plan, we are committed to making our health system better, because it really is the most important thing we can do for Tasmanians."
SUMMARY:
Under our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future, a re-elected majority Liberal Government will:
- Recruit 78 full-time paramedics
- An extra 51 full-time paramedics in areas of key demand over two years.
- An extra 27 community paramedics in rural and regional areas over four years.
- Building four new Ambulance Stations at Legana, Snug, Cygnet and King Island.
- Effectively ban ramping - get ambulances off the ramp and paramedics back on the road.
- Guarantee there will be no ambulance tax under our government, ever.
- Set up a new State-wide Integrated Command Centre.
- Deliver an extra 180 life-saving Defibrillators in our communities.
- Pilot an Emergency Mental Health Co-Response Service in the North.
- Increase annual funding for the Health and Wellbeing of our frontline emergency services personnel and volunteers, including paramedics.
- Protect our frontline workers from serious assault.
Cost: $79.4 million including $22 million for capital expenditure.
