The Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) has raised concerns about patient safety amid a dispute with the Department of Health over ambulance replacement policies.
According to HACSU, ambulance union delegates were recently read a document by the Health Minister that outlined a policy for replacing emergency ambulances after either 210,000 kilometres or five years.
State secretary Robbie Moore said they were shocked to learn that the actual replacement threshold was actually 40,000km higher at 250,000 kilometres or five years.
“Let’s face it, a decision to extend the lifespan of an ambulance is all about cost, not safety,” he said.
“It seems like a case of another faceless bureaucrat telling paramedics what is good for them.”
Labor’s health spokesperson Ella Haddad said decisions around keeping ageing vehicles on the road should be driven by safety, not “cost or convenience”.
“We have heard from paramedics and Ambulance Tasmania that their vehicles are unsafe,” she said.
“This is an issue of worker and patient safety and the government should be making sure that they are replacing vehicles based on that as the consideration.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health confirmed that the planned lifespan for emergency response ambulances is indeed five years or 250,000 kilometres.
They said vehicles that have travelled more than 200,000km are subject to additional safety checks.
21 new ambulances are due to be delivered this financial year.
