Record recruitment for ambulance service

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

Mr Roberts said any extra staff appointed to the Bundaberg region in 2008-09 would be in addition to seven extra ambulance officers appointed to the region in 2007-08.

He said the Queensland Ambulance Service had completed a record recruitment of 255 additional ambulance officers during the last financial year.

“Seven of those officers have been assigned to the Bundaberg area, providing a highly skilled and dedicated emergency pre-hospital health care service,” Mr Roberts 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.”

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.

3 July 2008
Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3247 8194