Taxpayers slugged $60m as ambos denied basic work condition

Queensland paramedics are so overworked they’re missing out on a basic requirement of the job, at a huge cost to taxpayers.

Queensland paramedics are being so run off their feet they’re skipping meals on shift, with taxpayers forking out nearly $60m in meal allowances.

More than 1.2 million hours in meal penalty hours were accrued in the 2022-23 financial year to June 23 at a total cost of $58m, Health Minister Shannon Fentiman confirmed.

The LNP Opposition claimed chronic ramping issues at Queensland hospitals was the driving factor in the “record” overtime by the hardworking but exhausted paramedics. There has been a staggering 132 per cent increase in paramedic overtime hours since 2015, according figures released by the state government in a Question on Notice.

Ambulance staff are paid meal overtime as an industrial entitlement when a paid meal break is not accessed during their shift.

It’s understood Queensland Ambulance Services crews often prioritise a response to a patient over a meal break.

Opposition leader David Crisafulli said Queensland paramedics were physically, emotionally and mentally tired.

Ms Fentiman, however, said the increase was down to the more than 1300 additional ambulance staff employed by the state government over the past eight years, naturally increasing meal overtime allowances.

Mr Crisafulli said the amount of overtime logged by paramedics over the past financial year was a testament to their dedication, determination and work ethic.

Paramedics’ mammoth hours are costing taxpayers dearly.

“We’ve listened to paramedics who’ve told us they’ve worked to the brink of exhaustion to keep the health system on the rails,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“Queensland has the worst ambulance ramping in the country and that’s not the fault of our paramedics. The paramedics didn’t sign up to this vocation to spend an entire shift ramped while other calls from Queenslanders go unanswered.”

Ms Fentiman said frontline paramedics and QAS staff did an incredible job in providing care for Queenslanders at their most vulnerable.

“The LNP are deliberately misleading Queenslanders. When you hire more paramedics, the number of staff accessing entitlements such as meal overtime obviously goes up,” Ms Fentiman said.

She said demand for ambulances had increased by more than 20 per cent over the past five years, putting more pressure on the service and hospitals.

“This is why our government has delivered a record budget for the QAS and is continuing to employ more frontline paramedics.

“Thanks to this investment, the number of lost minutes per ambulance is going down.”

Ms Fentiman said she had met with senior clinicians and ambulance staff last week to discuss how to best address ramping issues. It led to a further $20m investment being immediately rolled out.

She said a new QAS certified agreement which became operational in March this year also delivered a 4 per cent pay increase for staff.