Tasmania is about to see its biggest ever paramedic hiring spree, a move aimed at slashing ambulance ramping times and ensuring residents get the care they need, the state government says.
The announcement from Health Minister Guy Barnett was made on Monday during a visit to the under-construction Glenorchy ambulance station.
Of the 78 new paramedics, 51 will be given full-time positions and 27 will become community paramedics.
“We are getting straight back to work by redoubling our recruitment efforts so that we can bolster our paramedic workforce and ensure Tasmanians can receive the care they need, sooner,” Barnett said.
“Along with the additional 44 ED doctors and 25 ED nurses at the Royal Hobart Hospital announced during the campaign, this will help back-in our plan to end ambulance ramping across the state.”
The four-year recruitment effort will involve national and international advertising to fill the open positions.
While acknowledging the need for more paramedics, Ambulance Tasmania CEO Jordan Emery said onboarding new staff must be staged due to training requirements.
“We have to stage the implementation of any new employees because there is a training requirement and that limits the number of employees we can take on at any one time,” he said.
“I simply could not on-board 120 trainee paramedics tomorrow. I don’t have enough mentors to train them.”
The government also plans to fulfill promises to build new ambulance stations in Legana, Cygnet, Snug and King Island.
These stations add to the six new stations already underway in Bridgewater, Beaconsfield, Queenstown, Bicheno, Oatlands and Longford.
