ACTAS paramedics have long been advocating for more staff, and achieved a long-wanted roster change in 2024. Photo: Transport Workers’ Union.
The paramedics union has called on the ACT Government to make a commitment by Christmas on how many extra staff it will fund following a review into the new rostering system.
The review found that the new system is benefiting ACT Ambulance Service (ACTAS) workers, but only 4 per cent of night shifts reached ‘minimum crewing’ (which the document noted doesn’t reflect the minimum roster operation requirements) under the new 44-hour roster.
The day shift fared better, but an average of 57 per cent of shifts fell below minimum crewing needs.
Transport Workers Union ACT paramedics’ representative Ben Sweaney said this review echoed what they had known all along: that more frontline and support staff were needed to keep up with demand.
“Our members love the new roster; the old roster was unsustainable and dangerous,” he said.
“[But] we’re running far too short … the government needs to commit to funding additional paramedics and support staff to reach capability.”
The minimum crewing on the 44-hour roster is 12 on the morning shift, six during the day, 10 in the afternoon, and 12 at night. Photo: ACTAS Roster Review.
The new 44-hour emergency operations roster (in a four days on, four days off pattern) began in April 2024 in an effort to improve fatigue management and better work-life balance for ACTAS following campaigning by the TWU.
Before the roster was established, it was identified that 60 additional full-time equivalent (FTE) staff were needed. ACTAS received funding for an additional 15 paramedics in the 2023/24 budget, followed by funding for an additional 30 paramedics to continue implementation.
The review found that ACTAS was funded for 245.68 FTE to support the core emergency roster, but that an additional 83.44 FTE was needed to bring staffing levels up to the appropriate levels, which would also help account for leave entitlements, illness, safe duties, training, and other absences.
Mr Sweaney added that, if the new Molonglo emergency services station did come online next year, another 60 officers would also need to be found.
“We’re yet to see commitments … [and] we want a commitment before Christmas,” he said.
“This is so paramedics can go into the holiday period knowing there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
The review also highlighted a surge in demand, particularly for non-emergency situations, which puts added pressure on the service.
Average demand had been predicted to increase to about 112.4 incidents per 1000 people by 2028.
“These projections have already been surpassed. In 2023-24, ACTAS experienced 116.6 incidents per 1000 people,” the review noted.
This equates to 62,600 calls for emergency services, resulting in 54,821 incidents.
The average job length also increased by 25 per cent (from 67.8 minutes to 84.6 minutes).
One way ACTAS can boost staff numbers is through graduates. Another is by employing people from other jurisdictions (known as lateral intake).
The review noted that the program for lateral intake staff was the longest in the country (between 14 and 18 months, compared to 12 months), which was creating a “trailing bottleneck” in recruitment capacity.
Mr Sweaney said addressing this was also needed to improve staffing levels.
“Even if the government commits [to funding the staff], we can’t bring in those numbers in one intake,” he said.
“We need to see a plan for the short term, plus a longer-term plan to make the roster sustainable.”
Response attributable to Emergency Services Shadow Minister Deborah Morris said it highlighted just how important it was for ACTAS staff to have the appropriate resourcing to keep the community safe.
“Under-resourcing by the ACT Government means ambulance staff and paramedics are confronted with the difficult decision of shutting down stations, or attending some incidents before others because of staff shortages,” she said.
“The ACT Government should be empowering ambulance services to focus on saving lives, not burdening them with moral dilemmas.”
The review made 13 recommendations aimed at strengthening roster effectiveness and the overall service.
“ACTAS should stabilise its foundations before expanding its workforce, ensuring the system into which new staff are recruited is capable of supporting them,” it stated.
“Unless [the] structural issues are addressed first, simply adding more paramedics will repeat the cycle of pressure without building long-term resilience.”
New ACTAS Chief Officer David Dutton said he was committed to considering each recommendation and moving the service forward.
“At the same time, I want to remind the community that ACTAS staff are hard‑working, highly skilled professionals who deliver quality health care every day,” he said.
“This report does not diminish their dedication or capability – it highlights the pressures they face and the opportunities we have to better support them.”
Fire and Emergency Services Minister Dr Marisa Paterson said she was taking the review’s findings “very seriously”.
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Dr Marisa Paterson, welcomed the review and its recommendations.
“Over the coming weeks, I will work closely with ACTAS, Transport Workers’ Union and other stakeholders to translate these findings into a clear path forward, one that strengthens the service and delivers benefits for both staff and the community.”
