Macarthur region ambulance stations to remain open

NSW Ambulance has eased fears the Macarthur region’s ambulance stations were at risk, clarifying the area’s four stations will remain open under the Sydney Ambulance Metropolitan Infrastructure Strategy (SAMIS).

Picture: Melvyn Knipe

NSW Ambulance has eased fears the Macarthur region’s ambulance stations were at risk, clarifying the area’s four stations will remain open under the Sydney Ambulance Metropolitan Infrastructure Strategy (SAMIS).

The SAMIS plan is to roll out nine ambulance ‘superstations’ across the state, the closest one being at Liverpool, with a network of smaller standby stations.

Campbelltown, Camden and Picton ambulance stations will operate as done currently. Macquarie Fields will be a standby station as part of the Liverpool Paramedic Response Network and will maintain 24/7 deployment from the station.

“Once the Paramedic Response Network is fully operational there will be more NSW Ambulance facilities across metropolitan Sydney than currently exist within this response area,” NSW Ambulance Paramedic Response Network Program director Clare Beech said.

Macquarie Fields Ambulance Station. Picture: Melvyn Knipe

“The Paramedic Response Network operational model has been designed to reduce the likelihood of lengthy responses to patients requiring emergency paramedic care.”

Campbelltown state Labor MP Greg Warren and Macquarie Fields state Labor MP Anoulack Chanthivong wrote to NSW Premier Mike Baird and Health Minister Jillian Skinner recently to express their concerns that the plan could see the shutting down of one or more local stations.

Australian Paramedics Association NSW industrial organiser Tilak Nabi previously said the loss of local stations would have been detrimental for the region due to increased response times and a lack of familiarity among paramedics with residents.

Five of the superstations — Bankstown, Blacktown, Kogarah, Penrith and Liverpool — are under construction and due for completion in 2017. The other four — Northmead, Inner West, Artarmon and Caringbah — are in the design and development phase.