Responses provided on notice to Greens’ questions in Budget Estimates paint a picture of an emergency response system at breaking point. 11% of paramedic shifts went unfilled, and nearly 1 in 3 emergencies weren’t responded to on time so far this financial year.
In response to Greens’ questions in Estimates, the Minister for Health has confirmed only 46,500 of 52,229 paramedic shifts in 2025-26 have been filled. That means 11%, or 1 in 9, shifts have gone unfilled.
There’s simply not enough paramedics on shift to meet the need in the community. It’s having a real impact on Tasmanians in need of life-saving healthcare.
Calls deemed an emergency are meant to be assigned an ambulance within three minutes. In the last year, 12,782 cases haven’t been assigned within this time frame. That’s more than 33% percent – nearly 1 in 3.
It’s as concerning as it is shocking. People are waiting sick and in pain for the healthcare they need. These delays aren’t just dangerous, they’re potentially life-threatening.
Paramedics are working as hard as they can to look after Tasmanians, but there’s only so much they can do when they’re so understaffed. The system is at breaking point, and it’s taking a huge toll on staff.
The Liberals have been saying for years they’re recruiting more paramedics, but clearly whatever they’re doing isn’t working. We know it’s well short of what was recommended by their own expert report on ambulance services.
Worse still, the Liberals are planning to cut hundreds of millions to the health service. They haven’t ruled out jobs in frontline healthcare, like ambulance services, facing the chopping block.
Tasmanians deserve to know they’ll get an ambulance when they need it. The Liberals need to start prioritising hiring the paramedics Tasmanians need.
