Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) ambulance workers have today voted to take industrial action in response to the “failure of the government and the Department of Health to enforce a starter that puts an end to ambulance ramping”.
The state’s largest union said the decision comes after they warned of mounting unrest among members following their appearance before the parliamentary select committee on ramping in December.
“Ambulance response times in Tasmania were already the worst in the country. They have now swelled to nearly double the recommended time for urgent calls and continue to get worse,” a spokesperson said.
“Despite promises from the government of added staffing, many positions are either not permanently funded or remain vacant, leading to an over-reliance on overtime as the primary solution.”
HACSU Industrial Manager Lucas Digney said that the “deteriorating” situation was taking a toll on staff and making them “sick”.
“They’re dealing with the worst response times and there is absolutely no plan to fix it,” he said.
“We demand nothing short of immediate action to enable the nation’s busiest ambulance workers to just be able to their jobs without being stuck in the emergency department or wondering how to dispatch an ambulance when none are available, all while dealing with distressed calls for assistance.”
The union said paramedics and ambulance staff shouldn’t suffer due to an “underfunded and chaotic health system”, saying it “should not impede their ability to respond to medical emergencies”.
