The union representing thousands of Paramedics employed by NSW Ambulance has welcomed this afternoon's announcement by the NSW Health Minister of 500 additional rural and regional Paramedics. However, APA (NSW) reiterates its calls on the Government to follow through on the other crucial pay and emergency healthcare reforms it promised during the election.
The Australian Paramedics Association (NSW) has welcomed this afternoon's announcement by the NSW Health Minister of the funding for an additional 500 regional and rural Paramedics in next week's budget. The announcement comes after years of advocacy and industrial action by frontline APA (NSW) Paramedics, who have brought attention to the emergency healthcare crisis facing rural communities, and pushed the Minns Government to follow through on this election promise.
"This announcement is a critical step forward in addressing the emergency healthcare crisis facing rural and regional communities across this state," says APA (NSW) Secretary Alan O'Riordan.
"For years, our members have been ceaselessly advocating for successive governments to seriously look at how much our rural and regional Paramedics and communities have been hurting."
"Hundreds of frontline Paramedics were part of our submission to the NSW Parliaments' Inquiry into Rural and Regional Healthcare, which made it crystal clear that they and their patients are being left behind by underfunding and poor resource allocation. People are dying because of it."
"After a hard fought industrial campaign to get this demand onto the table, to make it an election promise from the Minns Government, and to finally have it implemented, we're proud of the way members across this state have shone a spotlight on the health crisis across the regions."
"Today's announcement speaks to the power of Paramedics collectively challenging the Government to get what they've been promised."
The union says that while they're happy to see this much-needed boost to the regions implemented, it's high time for the Government to follow through on the other promises they've made to recognise the work of Paramedics and fix NSW's emergency healthcare system.
"A real wage increase is absolutely critical to keeping our highly-trained, experienced staff in NSW. As long as this Government refuses to make a serious pay offer after years of real terms cuts, we're going to keep seeing Paramedics bleeding to other states," continues APA (NSW) Secretary Alan O'Riordan.
"Labor has also shamefully backflipped on removing the policy stopping more specialist Paramedics from working rurally, has taken no action on introducing 24/7 Patient Transport Officers, and continues to allow staffing enhancements to be only partially maintained."
"500 additional Paramedics is a much needed improvement, but it is a bandaid fix that will do little to fix the healthcare crisis without meaningful action in these other key areas.
To continue their campaign for a fair pay increase and crucial emergency healthcare reforms from this Government, APA (NSW) Paramedics will be taking Industrial Action from Saturday 16 September until Budget Day. APA (NSW) Paramedics will be placing a Ban on Staff Movements, by refusing to move from their home communities.
"We won't stop fighting until the Government follows through on what they've promised Paramedics and the people of NSW."
