The state government has announced it will bring in a triage system for ambulance Triple-0 calls, but the Health and Community Services Union said there are a "few problems" with the plan.
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Under the new system, calls to Triple-0 will be assessed to see if an ambulance is truly required, or if private transport or an alternative service such as an in-home doctor would be more appropriate.
The government said the system could reduce ambulance call-outs by 73 per cent, lessening ambulance ramping at hospitals and lowering wait times.
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However, HACSU assistant state secretary Robbie Moore said the government was copying the Victorian system, but with several unaddressed differences.
"In Victoria they have paramedics in the call centres, basically those who can't work for various reasons," he said.
"There are no plans to put paramedics in Comms [in Tasmania].
"It won't be properly resourced, and [we have] concerns with software that will be relied upon for the right triage results.
"There are not enough alternate pathways in Tasmania - they might save ambulance dispatches but the patients will still just end up at the hospitals.
"As far as I know this is also a good two years from implementation."
An Ambulance Tasmania spokesperson said a major benefit of secondary triage was a number of patients could be diverted away from acute health care facilities, and reduce increasing demand on paramedics.
"Another benefit is suitable patients can be provided with appropriate medical advice and/or care without needing to leave their homes," they said.