We deserve better
The crisis in emergency healthcare and how to fix it.
The emergency healthcare crisis has been decades in the making. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated just how far into the crisis we are. Inadequate resourcing has for years led to forced overtime, Paramedics working up to 21 hours with no breaks, and worsening response times. This has never been more clear than now, in the worst health crisis of our lifetime. Paramedics are fighting for changes that we know will improve emergency healthcare across NSW. We all know that emergency health workers, our patients and our communities deserves so much better, so lets demand it, together.
WE DESERVE BETTER
We can’t afford to sleep on fatigue: every Paramedic needs a break. NSW communities rely on Paramedics performing at their best so they can help us when we’re most in need. For those responding to us in our worst moments, fatigue can be a matter of life and death. The statistics before COVID-19 were shocking. We shudder to think what they are now.
1 in 3 Paramedics consistently or usually feel too fatigued to drive safely, and 1 in 5 report that they are usually or consistently asked to work after saying they are fatigued. The majority of Paramedics complete less than 1 in every 3 meal breaks, and they are often forced to eat in hospital waiting zones or on the side of the road
WE DESERVE BETTER
We’re fighting for... Access to every scheduled meal break every shift so we can rest and refuel to maintain energy and manage our fatigue A modern, fit for purpose fatigue management policy that proactively addresses fatigue in all forms, and accounts for individual circumstances, such as if Paramedics have a young family. No forced overtime, so that every Paramedic gets home safe.
More Paramedics in our communities: Four minutes is life or death Slow response times in NSW are not the product of the latest COVID-19 outbreak. Well before this crisis, our average response time in an emergency was almost 20% slower than the national average1. 1 Productivity Commission Report on Government Services, Part E, Section 11, Table 11A.3
Put another way, you’re waiting an additional four minutes for an ambulance. In the event of ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest, your chance of survival decreases by 10% for every minute that defibrillation does not occur2. Those minutes matter more than anyone could imagine. These response times are no wonder when you consider how poorly resourced the NSW Ambulance service is compared to other states.
NSW has 40.8 qualified Paramedics per 100,000 people. Victoria has 53, Queensland has 69.9 per 100,000 and South Australia has 53.83. The NSW Government must immediately invest in putting more Paramedics on the road. We are also demanding that they put the RIGHT resources on the road, so everybody gets the best care available to them.
We’re fighting for... More Paramedics and fit for purpose deployment modelling to meet the needs of our comunities. We need a commitment of at least another 1500 Paramedics to bring us in line with comparable states, and we need a modern approach to deployment modelling which sees resourcing grow to meet the needs of our population. A 24/7 patient transport service to address delays to patient care, and free up ambulances for emergencies. In NSW we have a quarter of the patient transport vehicles that QLD and WA have, and less than half the number that Victoria has4. More Extended Care Paramedics, who can treat patients at home, prescribe antibiotics, assess fractures and set dislocations, keeping patients safe and hospital beds free. 2 3 4
Early access to defibrillation for cardiac arrest, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, July 2020 Productivity Commission Report on Government Services, Part E, Section 11, Table 11A.8 Productivity Commission Report on Government Services, Part E, Section 11, Table 11A.2
WE DESERVE BETTER
Greater investment in all specialist programs, including allowing regional Paramedics to become specialists without having to relocate to Sydney, so they can provide more care options for rural and remote communities.
Pay our Paramedics what they’re worth For too long Paramedic wages have been suppressed by the NSW Government. We are the lowest paid Paramedics in Australia, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, our wages have been slashed twice. Every time we isolate, we lose roughly 30% of our pay. We love the work we do, but it’s tough when you feel so undervalued.
We’re fighting for... An end to the 2.5% wage cap which only harms workers and the economy A real wage increase that reflects the dozens of enhancements to our skills over the last decade.
Ensuring the best care for every call An outdated triaging system is as deadly as an under-resourced service. When we dial 000, we trust that help will come, but our triaging system is failing us, and leaving NSW communities at risk. When our system can’t identify genuine emergencies, call backlog multiplies and resources are stretched thin. Patients whose needs are better suited to other healthcare services get stuck with blownout response times, steep ambulance charges, and even distressing, unnecessary trips to hospital.
We’re fighting for... Secondary triage by experienced clinicians who can ensure everyone gets the most appropriate clinical care for their circumstances, like a specialist mental health team, an Extended Care Paramedic, or a referral to another health service. Registered clinicians being able to use their expertise and request re-triaging. Paramedics should be empowered to determine when someone needs more urgent care, or needs to be re-triaged for an alternative care service. A comprehensive review of ProQA and NSW referral networks so that NSW communities can access a robust, statewide network of referral services, and so that everyone gets the care they need.
WE DESERVE BETTER
The crisis of under-resourcing is not limited to ambulance services. We stand by our comrades across all healthcare settings who are fighting for better resourcing. This is not a problem that can be solved overnight, but it can be solved. Short term solutions for the COVID-19 pandemic are within reach in the meantime, including portable office spaces to ensure staff are safe while stuck in bed block, and paying staff their projected wages when they are in isolation. We are ready to work with the NSW Government to keep the public safe. Are they ready to step up?