SA ambos’ open letter: We are at ‘breaking point’

In an extraordinary move, SA’s ambulance union has penned an open letter demanding the State Government act urgently to end the staffing crisis. Read the letter.

The State Government is playing “Russian roulette” with South Australians by refusing to pay for more ambulance staff, a union letter says.

The Ambulance Employees’ Association (AEA) released a full-page open letter in the Sunday Mail, calling on the government to address major staff shortfalls to cope with “ever-increasing demand” for ambulances.

“(Ambos) are being held back by a miserly government who refuse to provide funding for more staff,” the letter, authorised by AEA secretary Phil Palmer, says.

“It is an absolute disgrace that there is no part of the service that has enough staff to function safely, except perhaps the ‘spin’ department.”

The letter says the AEA alerted the State Government about serious risks to the community in early 2018.

“These warnings were unheeded … resulting in our members operating in unsafe working conditions including a lack of breaks, reliance on overtime, archaic on-call rosters in major country locations and ramping …”

AEA Secretary Phil Palmer has released an open letter on behalf of the union, outlining major concerns about funding and resources.

Ramping at Adelaide hospitals, including the RAH, the Modbury Hospital and Port Augusta Hospital on Thursday July 22, 2020. Picture supplied by Phil Palmer

Health Minister Stephen Wade said the government remained committed to providing frontline ambulance crews with “the resources and training they need to keep us safe”.

“As the independent Auditor-General reports show, we have increased staffing by 187 FTE since the election,” he said. Mr Wade also said the government had rolled out new ambulance vehicles last year – but blamed “industrial awards” for “holding back” reform.

“For example, we need more flexibility in shift arrangements so that we can recruit and retain staff and better match ambulance demand with availability,” he said.

The AEA accused Mr Wade of “deflecting” the issue by blaming pay negotiations.

The letter also urged people to sign a petition for the government to act urgently and to “stop playing Russian roulette with South Australians”.

AEA senior industrial officer Rob Leaney said the association's members were at “breaking point”.

“Our hardworking ambos cannot do their job properly … unless the government urgently provides more funding,” he said.

Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton warned lives would be at risk if paramedics didn’t get the resources they needed.

He said Labor plans to soon release a comprehensive plan to address ramping and ambulance shortfalls as an election pledge.

“But, this is a situation that can’t wait 13 months until the next election,” he said.

“It shouldn’t have to take our ambulance workers reaching these kinds of exhaustion and anxiety levels for the Marshall Liberal Government to finally listen, and act.”

A recent report, commissioned by the SA Ambulance Service, revealed delays had surged since July last year, resulting in dozens of cases that put patients in unnecessary danger.

It found a “concerning trend” of increased ambulance delays reported between July and November 2020, which had continued to grow since the report began.

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Originally published as SA ambos’ open letter: We are at ‘breaking point’