Page 3485 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 22 August 2018
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(f) ACTAS staff should be spending their time providing support to paramedics and continuing to deliver high quality care to Canberrans;
(g) the information provided in the answer to QON 662 cannot be extrapolated to identify if a certain percentage of shifts were below the minimum crewing metric for the whole shift;
(h) the minimum crewing metric is not used by all ambulances services in the country; and
(i) response times and patient satisfaction are better measures of the quality of the ambulance service provided to a community;
(2) further notes that:
(a) ACTAS has the best response times in the nation and the highest patient satisfaction;
(b) notwithstanding that ACTAS is one of the best ambulance services in the country, the Minister for Police and Emergency Services requested a review of minimum crewing be undertaken, with a view of supporting ACTAS staff;
(c) the Government is implementing the ACTAS Blueprint for Change, designed to lead to improvements, including for staff, and enhance capabilities of the service; and
(d) the Government has provided additional funding to ACTAS, including for an additional two ambulances and 23 paramedics; and
(3) calls on the Government to publicly respond by the end of the year regarding the outcomes of the review of minimum crewing in ACTAS currently underway.”.
The motion moved by the opposition is nothing more than a distraction and should not be supported. The minister has already explained the matter in this place and has also responded publicly, including through media interviews. I also remind the Assembly that the information concerned was provided in advance of this year’s sitting period starting. This enabled the opposition to have not one but two debates in this place, on 14 and 21 February, on the subject of crewing within the Ambulance Service.
In addition the minister has also responded to multiple questions in this place about ACTAS and staffing. We will not be supporting this attempt to smear ACTAS and the hardworking public servants who look after our community in a time of need. No matter what Mr Coe says, accusing public servants of being politicised is a smear.
We have one of the best ambulance services in the country. ACTAS staff has the best response times in the country, along with the highest levels of patient satisfaction. This has been achieved with growing demand on ACTAS services, a demand that we know will continue as our city grows. We thank ACTAS for their great work and also recognise that they do need support.
As has already been announced, we are providing two new ambulances and 23 additional paramedics. As is mentioned in the amendment and something that I know is important to paramedics from speaking to them, five new state-of-the-art
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