“Sometimes we can’t stop to go to the toilet.”
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Wagga paramedics are so understaffed and overworked they are often forfeiting lunch breaks and days off, according to the region’s union representative.
Australian Paramedic Association zone liaison officer Darren Rudd said the solution was simple but the problem was being ignored.
A fresh push for more paramedics across the city comes amid troubling statistics, released last week, revealing a 34.8 per cent increase in the number of non-urgent presentations to the emergency department.
Wagga Rural Referral Hospital reported 256 additional cases between July and September this year, when compared to the same period in 2016.
Mr Rudd said the increase in numbers mirrored paramedics’ workload too.
“It is ever-increasing,” Mr Rudd said. “We’re responding to 1200-to-1500 cases per month, which is significant among 26.7 paramedics."
Staffing levels at Wagga’s ambulance station have been unvaried since the late 80s, according to Mr Rudd.
This comes despite significant population growth.
“At the end of the day, it’s a much larger issue,” he said.
“Significant investment needs to be made.”
He said a recent study found more than 500 NSW paramedics were needed to appropriately address the state’s workload.
“Depending on the circumstances, we’re often bouncing job to job,” Mr Rudd said. “It’s difficult to access a break – even for five minutes.”
In his APA capacity, Mr Rudd said the real slap in the face came from the notable surplus in the state budget and the building of sporting complexes and stadiums, meanwhile “neglecting an essential emergency response capacity”.
During peak periods, Mr Rudd said major regional areas – like Wagga – required help from outlying areas, like Tumut, Gundagai and Junee.
With only two paramedics online at some stations, a transfer case could send teams away for hours, causing major delays in response times.
Ambulance NSW commissioner Dominic Morgan last week said the station opening at Coolamon had somewhat relieved the city’s annual job numbers.
While no further paramedics have been ear-marked for Wagga, Mr Morgan said the Turvey station had the capacity to receive additional staff in time.
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