Ambulance Division | Other
Ambulance Division
Phone: +61 1300 478 679
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25.01.2022 While no one was hurt in this car v ambulance collision, its a good reminder to take it easy at intersections. Watch this Ten News story which due to the high centre of gravity of our ambulances, means they tip over way too often.
25.01.2022 Our rural ambos should not be working out of dilapidated and run down stations. The government spruiks and lauds their own efforts in supplying superstations for metro Sydney. While these are most certainly warranted, once again our rural comrades seem to be forgotten. The crews from Tamworth wallow in run down, out dated and unsuitable stations. Tamworth City station was built in 1926 and is falling down around the ears of paramedics as they struggle to fit modern ambulances... and current crews into the ancient building. The pleas of Tamworth paramedics for modern and functional facilities have continued to be ignored. The Ambulance Service has failed to provide any funding for new facilities for the city's ambos. Our paramedics have been forced to place a black ban on any increase to staffing levels because there is simply nowhere to house them (this does not include replacement staff) . So we have the ridiculous situation of paramedics refusing much needed staff enhancements because they cannot safely fit any more staff or ambulances in their stations. Come on Premier, surely you can find funds to upgrade a 94 year old building... throw your hat into the ring, or we can give you one of ours. Like and share if you think our rural ambos deserve better! #homelessambos #nosupershedforus #neglectedTamworth
25.01.2022 Building upon our post yesterday, it’s important that we recognise the other health workers who have also worked day and night on the frontlines of both the bushfires and pandemic, as well as performing their regular important duties. The Government may not acknowledge these workers going above and beyond, but we do. Among the many health workers who deserve recognition of their sacrifice and outstanding patient care are Patient Transport Officers (both public and private). Y...ou have probably seen vans like these out and about but maybe don’t know exactly what they do. Patient transport services provide non-emergency transport to make sure our loved ones get to their medical appointments and receive vital treatment. They are crucial for keeping the Health system flowing and ensuring emergency service resources are available for emergencies. During the bushfires, PTOs volunteered to work long extra hours to evacuate Aged Care Facilities. They ran huge donation drives for members in their community who had lost their homes during the fires. For months, PTOs have been ensuring travellers get safely from the airport to hotel quarantine, keeping NSW safe. They have done all this while still making sure patients who needed medical tests, treatment and transport still had access to them even in the midst of a global pandemic. And, on top of this, they are strong and passionate unionists who have been fighting to keep each other as safe and supported as possible. They have always fought for what is fair, which makes it even more unfair that PTOs have also been thanked by the NSW Government in the form of a pay freeze. PTOs are more than essential health workers, they are fundamental pillars of our communities. We are grateful for the hard work of PTOs.
24.01.2022 What happens when you cut the budget for front line services? Critical maintenance is delayed leading to MORE new station door failures. NSW Ambulance continues to have shocking safety leadership which is embarrassing the government. Its time the Ministry of Health intervened and took control of safety in Ambulance.
24.01.2022 The NSW Government does not value our paramedics! Come on Premier!
23.01.2022 . On Sunday, the media reported that some sections of the NSW Government were hoping to fix the impending state budget problems supposedly brought about by the bush fires by freezing paramedic and other public sector pay. Really? How is it our fault that the economy was hit by bushfires? We are the same people who spent many unpaid hours, just like the awesome volunteers, who put in to keep our com...munity safe. Below is a public letter from a senior paramedic who worked his bum off during the fires, who he himself was anxious about what would happen to his family and his town. We are proud to serve our community. Like all shift workers, we sacrifice our family time to serve. But asking us to take a pay freeze to fix the economy is too much to ask. We call on the Premier to rule out any pay freeze for any worker in our economy. Please read the full letter linked below: https://www.hsu.asn.au//uploads/2020/03/letter-from-steve- If you have no time to read the whole letter, at least read this: Throughout the months of November, December, January and February I worked alongside many other public servants to keep the NSW public safe and to ensure Government services continued. I was there in the Emergency Operations Centres witnessing public servants of all agencies working together, for weeks, for the common good. I witnessed the hard work of public servants in the hospitals. The nurses treating the casualties, the old, the weak and the scared. The cleaners mopping the floors from the continuous ash when the emergency doors opened and ensuring that beds were made ready for the next. I witnessed public servants in the evacuation centres, giving more hours than paid, ensuring those in their care were safe, sheltered and fed. I witnessed public servants feeding, sheltering and moving domestic and agricultural animals. I witnessed public servants ensuring public law and order was maintained in a time of great chaos I witnessed public servants risking their own lives to ensure the safety of others. And I witnessed my own team of public servants, in the middle of the day, treating burns by torchlight in a showground in Cobargo. .
22.01.2022 Despite a bushfire disaster and pandemic, paramedics and health workers continue to put themselves on the line day in and day out. Police continue to face risks in order to maintain our safety. Teachers go the extra mile to ensure that our childrens education continues. Fire fighters forego a well earned rest to cover the backs of understaffed paramedics. While all public sector workers turn themselves inside out to adapt to work practices, that are radically reshaped by lo...ckdown, in order to keep our state running. These public sector workers have stepped up to do this in a time of need, without question and asking for nothing. So, our Treasurer responds with exactly that nothing. Just the promise of a wage freeze to say thanks for going the extra mile. A wage freeze to satisfy a misguided economic ideology that a government budget surplus is the golden egg, while workers dont have the spare cash to buy the coffee that will get our cafes open again. A wage freeze while our workers struggle to meet spiralling electricity bills and have to hold off on that holiday with the family that drives the tourism industry because we just dont have the spare cash now, sorry kids. A wage freeze justified with so many people are out of work so we wont give you a living wage and let you help get them back to work unless of course you are a senior public servant in the Treasurers inner circle then we will push through a wage rise but that is different This is just plain wrong Treasurer. It is unjust to punish people who have continuously stood solid over this dark period and battled adversity for this state and their communities. It is unfair for the people who have lost their jobs and will have little hope of returning to work as the economy stalls because there is no spare cash to spend with struggling small business heroes. It is immoral to freeze the wages of workers while boosting the paycheques of fat cat government executives. Paramedics serve the community every day and the paramedics of the ADHSU will continue to serve our community by opposing any wage freeze to any worker. Lets get people back to work and pay them a living wage to spend on each other. NO WAGE FREEZE!
22.01.2022 As paramedics we often spend time away from our family and friends in order to proudly serve our communities. We know the community values our service, but the Government doesnt. As the lowest paid in the country its time we were properly supported by our employer with professional wages without losing the conditions that allow us to both work and play.
20.01.2022 We welcome NSW Governments overnight announcement that it would pay for the accommodation expenses of front line health workers such as paramedics who have been exposed and believe its necessary to isolate in a hotel/motel to protect their family. Remember that frontline health workers are at increased risk due to treating patients who tested positive, or likely to be tested positive to COVID-19. The last thing we want to do is bring it home to our loved ones. This announc...ement came after vigorous lobbying by ADHSU representatives who were shown the (virtual) door by NSWA who told us that policy would have to be changed before paramedics temporary accommodation would be funded. It all came to a head late Friday. Again we welcome NSW Government for listening and making the change in such a short amount of time. We hope that these sorts of policies will be brought in for our brothers and sisters in NSW Police and NSW Fire and Rescue (and emergency services workers everywhere).
19.01.2022 The NSW Government do not fund Intensive Care Paramedics outside of Metropolitan Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. In yet another example of how regional and rural NSW miss out when it comes to healthcare funding, our regional and rural ambulance stations are being deprived of Intensive Care Paramedics. Paramedics in regional areas are just as skilled as Paramedics in Metropolitan areas but must return to Newcastle, Sydney or Wollongong to increase their clinical skills. Th...is is important for conducting training, however there is no prospect to return to rural or regional areas as an Intensive Care Paramedic. This is totally unacceptable to our members and communities in the bush. Every person in NSW deserves access to the highest levels of care. Over the coming months, our delegates and members will be meeting with rural and regional members of parliament to discuss the issue in depth and win support for the bush. On Friday the 24th of January, an ADHSU member met with Nationals MP Christopher Gulaptis in Grafton. We wont stop having these conversations until all of NSW has access to the highest quality of healthcare. Like and share this post to show your support for better health care in regional areas.
19.01.2022 Most trusted, less funded. The Productivity Commission report has once again found NSW Ambulance response times are the slowest in the country. Every extra minute that goes by before we reach a patient is a lifetime to them and their family. ... We know we are working hard, why isnt the NSW Government working harder to properly-fund and staff our service? We wont accept this insult to the high level of care we provide in the name of saving a dime. We will continue to fight for a properly-resourced service. Now is the time to get involved.
19.01.2022 The Ruby Prince Inquiry released its report recently. While others are apportioning blame we thought wed take a moment to thank the MUA and others for reminding us all of something very important. We are elevated above it all whenever we focus on always protecting the dignity and health and safety of each other everywhere. Thanks for your leadership Maritime Union of Australia - MUA.
18.01.2022 HSU Assistant Secretary Lynne Russell and ADHSU Senior Paramedic Delegate, Tess Oxley, speaking to other strong women from the NSW union movement in todays Union Women Union Strong Conference. (Thanks Unions NSW) Its a good time to have such a conference because the NSW Ambulance Chief Executive seems to have a real problem with women. The ADHSU Womens Advocacy Group has repeatedly emailed him asking for a meeting to discuss several important issues that women in Ambulance... face. Yet he has ignored all requests to meet and is trivialising their very real concerns by sending a local manager to talk to the Womens Advocacy Group on his behalf. This is an organisation that keeps telling staff that women have never had it so good in Ambulance. The public persona is they are out there slapping themselves on the back about having women in the job, but the true persona is that they turn their back on the very serious issues that women face in NSW Ambulance.
18.01.2022 The NSW Treasurer and his band of ex-banker treasury officials have decided to take a swing at public servants, including health workers like Paramedics. Theyve always wanted to cut the salaries of front line staff but have been too afraid to take us on. Under the cover of COVID, theyve had a crack and frozen our pay. Please take a moment to view a message from the HSU Secretary, Gerard Hayes, an ex Intensive Care Paramedic. Youll be hearing a lot more from us on this topic ;)
17.01.2022 ADHSU wishes all our LGBTQIA+ members a safe and happy Mardi Gras. Whether youre working or marching this weekend, thank you! There is no unionism without inclusion
14.01.2022 The premier is backing her treasurer in and cutting the real pay of NSWs public servants while at the same time paying her executives massive pay rises. Weve had fires, floods, and now corona and the thanks we get is a real pay cut. The last time the government attacked us we fought back and won using liquid chalk. Should we start chalking again? Should we fight back? Were interested in the views of the public, who supported us during our fight for paramedic protections,... and of course, ADHSU paramedics, who will once again be asked to decorate ambulances. Tell us what you think, or like and share to show support.
13.01.2022 Lets make it clear HSU will not trade off any conditions... professional rates now!!
13.01.2022 Unlike most good employers, NSW Ambulance often has difficulty accommodating pregnant workers in the workforce. As we know, these workers continue to be able to perform non-physical tasks at full capacity. We have a right to perform other suitable duties whilst pregnant. Recently, NSWA asked the the Ambulance Division Womens Advocacy Group what our plans were to celebrate International Womens Day, hoping to jump on board with our ideas rather than think of their own. Giv...en that women are soon to make up half of the Service after 40 years of contribution, Ambulance still struggle to recognise womens worth. This is hardly surprising given that the CE of the Service has come up with multiple excuses not to meet with members of the Womens Advocacy Group to resolve the systemic issues we face. In spite of this, our requests to meet must have had some effect as our agenda items are now being actioned by some managers. We would like to congratulate South West Sydney Ambulance management for announcing the release of a maternity leave information pack in the near future. There are many management teams who would have too much pride to agree to the demands of a unionised workforce in this way. We look forward to reviewing the info pack to ensure it accurately reflects womens right to maternity leave and a productive and sustainable career.
13.01.2022 97% of ADHSU Paramedics who responded to a survey elected to stand and fight for fair pay and conditions. So thats what is happening. Liquid chalk has started and is spreading across the state. Its time NSW Public Servants are allowed to freely bargain like other workers in NSW. Time to rip up the wages policy. Dont forget to send pictures of your chalked up vehicles to [email protected]. Just like death and disability, if we stand together we can win this t...oo. #valueourservice
12.01.2022 Big shout out to crews serving the community on Christmas day. Stay safe!
10.01.2022 Where is the equity in health care?
10.01.2022 As we face increased calls to 000 for respiratory illnesses, reports are coming in from members of stations running out of PPE resources across the state. ADHSU members will always be supported in standing off if a scene is considered unsafe, and in the current climate this highlights the importance of PPE in paramedic safety. We remind you that all clinical safety alerts put out by NSW Ambulance must be followed, therefore, If members are unable to enter a premises due to N...SW Ambulance and Health not maintaining appropriate levels of PPE, control should be notified. Additionally, if members notice that any PPE is missing from cars with no stores on station to replenish, this should be mentioned during sign-on and the Duty Dom notified immediately. ADHSU will support any member protecting themselves and their patients on the job.
10.01.2022 News broke over the weekend about something paramedics already knew: the health budget is not only under stress, but for the first time in a long time, frontline services are being cut to make ends meet. The Minister has declared that rubbish. Well, maybe he is being lied to by Health bureaucrats trying to hold onto their jobs? Like weve been saying for months, NSW Ambulance paramedics and patients are suffering under a $30 million efficiency dividend and other debt. Thi...s is leading to paramedics covering whole towns on their own or Ambulances taken off the road altogether to keep costs down. Its having a real effect on patient outcomes, paramedic safety and morale. Its time the Health and Ambulance budget is restored one way or another. Were looking at you Federal Government.
09.01.2022 Today is paramedic appreciation day. 99% of people in NSW appreciate paramedics. Among the 1% who dont appreciate are NSW Ambulance Executive. Why would we say this? Because today, paramedic appreciation day, the Executives also started an attack on a paramedic roster format that not only serves the public well, but also gives us enough time off with our family to recover from the rigours of shift work. This roster is what is commonly known as the 4 x 5. Many of us work 4 x ...12 hr 15min shifts and have 5 days off in a row. Rather than employ enough paramedics, NSWA is seeking to bring in a roster format that will severely reduce our time off with our family. Its typical from an Executive who cuts all sorts of corners to fake meeting KPIs at the expense of a paramedic workforce who are already under too much stress. Happy paramedic appreciation day. We know nearly all of the public truely appreciate paramedics, pity the Ambulance executives dont.
09.01.2022 Paramedics are taking the risk so you dont have to. Please stay at home and only call 000 for emergencies. Like and share this post to get their message out. ... #valueourservice #stayathome #covid19 #wetaketherisk #stopthevirus
09.01.2022 A Welfare Package is now available for members who have been affected by the bushfires. We will stand together and support each other through this disaster and whatever comes next.
08.01.2022 Happy International Womens Day! To the women working, fighting, providing, striving and thriving - We see you. We believe you. We stand with you.
08.01.2022 After a spirited campaign by ADHSU members and followers of this page, station cleaning is being implemented by NSW Ambulance across the entire state. ADHSU members welcome the move which, we have been told, should be implemented at every station within 2 weeks. This is a significant win by ADHSU Paramedics which will increase the safety for not only oursleves, but our families and communities. ... For members, contact your delegate if cleaning at your station hasnt commenced within 2 weeks. Like and share this post to get the message out.
08.01.2022 Happy October. It's okay this remarkable year is nearly over. October is motorcycle awareness month. Motorcycle accidents can be horrific, and many avoided by all of us keeping an extra eye out for them. It's also a good opportunity for a shout out to the amazing motorcycle paramedics who keep us safe in and around Sydney's CBD. (pictured is a young Gerard Hayes HSU Secretary)
06.01.2022 In case members outside of Sydney didnt see this, the Sydney delegates, angry as everyone else is at the moment, published this excellent expression of frustration that is being felt across the whole Service. Have a read if you havent already.
05.01.2022 A couple years ago, Government spin doctors cooked up something called SWEP. What is SWEP? The State Wide Enhancement Program is the 700 new NSW paramedics the Government funded and boasted about in 2018. ... SWEP was a very welcome resourcing boost to NSW Ambulance that was supposed to decrease response times, decrease workload and fatigue for Ambulance staff and overall make a positive difference to the lives of everyone in NSW. The problem is that our rosters aren’t being maintained. The Government has given us the staff, but not the funding to properly utilise the extra help. The impact of additional staff becomes obsolete when we are still expected to work at 2010 minimum operating levels. What this means is that extra staff are being used to fill gaps in the rosters, rather than providing additional resources. When our colleagues are sick, for example, they aren’t replaced for that shift meaning we are still short-staffed and the community is short-changed. We need 2020 Minimum Operating Levels and the maintenance of all rosters to be funded now. We need it, our community needs it, NSW deserves it.
05.01.2022 Two weeks ago, hundreds of ADHSU members asked the Treasurer to fund minimum operating levels to 2020 levels. Currently, paramedics and control centre officers are trying to meet community need with resourcing that is set to 2010 levels. What this means for paramedics is high workload, extreme work intensity, dangerous levels of fatigue, missed breaks and staff travelling unreasonable distances to fill shift vacancies at other stations. What this means for patients is incre...ased waiting time for an ambulance, which can be the difference between life and death. We have not received a response from the Treasurer, and if we don’t within the next week we will be asking MPs to step up to support paramedics and members of the community in their electorates. You can give the Treasurer a reminder that time is ticking by sharing this post and tagging Dom Perrottet MP. If the Government and Treasury care about the health of NSW residents and visitors and the safety of Ambulance staff, they will fund the maintenance of all rosters for every shift.
05.01.2022 The Ambulance Division of the Health Services Union offer our sincere condolences to the family , friends and colleagues of the Victorian Police Officers who were killed in the line of duty. We share the heartbreak of our brothers and sisters in the Victorian Police for the loss of their colleagues and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
05.01.2022 Some more good news, with a small catch. Recently more than 900 ADHSU members responded to a survey about their thoughts on how the extra COVID - 19 funding should be spent. Just under 95% of them want their stations and control centres to be professionally cleaned every day (once per shift). This goes for every station across NSW until the end of the crisis. The great news is that NSW Government has agreed to fund it, and the Ambulance Service management have agreed to imple...ment it (only once a day but its a start). They told ADHSU representatives that the only thing holding them back is a lack of trained and available cleaners who can work in areas of high demand. Weve got good news for the senior management in NSWA who are struggling with this problem: the cleaners union, the United Workers Union, is going to provide them with names of 100s if not 1000s of recently unemployed cleaners willing to step up to the plate - by 9am tomorrow morning. The cleaners will keep paramedics as safe as possible from novel coronavirus by ensuring all common areas, including showers, in stations and control centres are thoroughly cleaned so incoming crews have less to worry about each shift. Its good to know that by working together we can solve these previously insurmountable problems. Nice work NSW Ambulance, State Government, and UWU for making this happen!
05.01.2022 The NSW Government is attempting to silence your paramedic delegates. Paramedic HSU delegates stand up for paramedics and the NSW community every single day and now government want that to stop. The government recently sent out letters to two paramedic delegates that were in the media discussing the real effects the $30 million cut to the Ambulance budget is having on frontline services. Paramedics have the view that its better for the public to know the real problems with ...the health system rather than covering it up. These letters were clearly designed to scare our delegates into not speaking out about the issues facing you in NSW. YOU WILL NEVER SILENCE HSU MEMBERS OR DELEGATES! Lets be frank, NSW Ambulance is under-resourced and paramedics are overworked. We do not receive the support we need to perform our roles within the community and the government is failing to listen. You, as NSW community members deserve better and your paramedics deserve to be supported. Show your support for our delegates and members by liking and sharing this post.
04.01.2022 It seems that violence towards paramedics and other emergency service workers is increasing as the COVID restrictions are winding back. Time to ease off on hard working Emergency Service Workers.
02.01.2022 HSU and other unions appeared at an inquiry into the Current and future provision of health services in the South-West Sydney Growth Region yesterday afternoon. Secretary Gerard Hayes, a former Intensive Care Paramedic, said what we already know, Sydneys South West (and West actually) health services are not keeping pace with the rapid growth of a population. One example is a critical shortage of available mental health beds. This leads to residents and visitors of the r...egion who need these specialised services to wait in long queues potentially making things worse. It also leaves patients and paramedics in the unenviable situation of longer distance transports to other facilities where there is often an extended wait for appropriate facilities as well. Its time we invested in enough health services in all areas of the state because health outcomes should not depend on your postcode.
02.01.2022 Ankles (Peter Annetts) was posthumously awarded the meritorious service medal today. He partied hard, he studied hard and worked hard. He was also a mentor to many of us who continue to serve our community today. He was a proud union leader. For those of you who worked with him, what are your favourite memories?
01.01.2022 ADHSU have been working with government on a number of measures to ensure paramedic and frontline workers are protected during this pandemic. ADHSU welcomes the $5,000 on the spot fines for anyone who deliberately coughs or spits at a healthcare worker. When we all stand united, anything is possible. ... Share this story to show your support for healthcare workers around the globe.
