Paramedics walked off the job "on time" yesterday before rallying in front of Launceston General Hospital in response to the state government's hesitancy to address pay or safety issues raised by union delegates.
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Health and Community Services Union Assistant State Secretary, Lucas Digney, said the industrial action highlighted a threat to the safety of paramedics and the community.
"The LGH is one of the worst sites for ramping in the country, meaning ambulance response times are at almost double the recommended time for urgent calls," he said.
"Chronic underinvestment in hospital infrastructure and frontline staff has festered, leaving the state's health system rife with regular bed block and ambulance ramping while paramedics are expected to fill the gaps."
Launceston Ambulance sub-branch vice president James Watkins said that issue forced paramedics to regularly work overtime, to ensure patients were not left at the ramp unattended before being treated.
"These people need ongoing care, so it's not like we can just dump them in the waiting room and go home," he said.
"Ramping is just unacceptable and desperately needs to be fixed."
The calls follow the recent death of a patient at the LGH who was reportedly ramped without ever being admitted to the ED.
Despite HACSU receiving a letter from the premier yesterday revealing a wage increae offer would be made this week, Mr Digney said he could not yet rule out further action.
"The last inflation figure was six per cent and any offer that comes in below that - like the government's previous offer of two-and-a-half percent - isn't a pay increase," he said.
A Department of Health spokesperson said they would continue to negotiate with HACSU in good faith at fortnightly meetings scheduled to run until the end of October when a new agreement would "hopefully" be in place after a complete package - including a salary increase - was offered.
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Luke Miller
I am a council and general news reporter at the Examiner. If you have any issues or information regarding local government, please contact me via email at luke.miller@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
I am a council and general news reporter at the Examiner. If you have any issues or information regarding local government, please contact me via email at luke.miller@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
