Record recruitment for ambulance service

The Queensland Ambulance Service is finalising plans to allocate the extra 250 ambulance officers funded under this month’s State Budget across the State, Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said today.

Member for Hervey Bay Andrew McNamara said any extra staff appointed to the Fraser Coast region in 2008-09 would be in addition to eight extra ambulance officers appointed to Maryborough and Hervey Bay this financial year (2007-08).

Mr McNamara said the Queensland Ambulance Service had completed a record recruitment of 255 additional ambulance officers in 2007-08.

“Eight of those officers have been assigned to the Maryborough-Hervey Bay area, providing a highly skilled and dedicated emergency pre-hospital health care service,” Mr McNamara said.

“The appointment of these additional officers, the introduction of a 38-hour week and roster reform has combined to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of frontline ambulance services.”

Speaking from Hervey Bay where he is attending the Bligh Government’s Community Cabinet meeting, Mr Roberts said the Bligh Government was committed to frontline emergency service with a record budget for the QAS in 2008-09, the recruitment of 250 extra officers and plans to buy 145 new ambulance vehicles.

30 June 2008
Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3247 8194 or 0418 197 350