Ambulance ranks grow faster than population

The ranks of Queensland Ambulance Service’s (QAS) operational staff have grown at a faster rate than the State’s population and the trend will continue, Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said today. Mr Roberts said Queensland already boasted the lowest and best rate of people per ambulance officer and this lead would continue with the Bligh Government’s commitment to fund an extra 250 ambulance officers this financial year (2008-09). “According to the QAS, there are more ambulance officers per capita in Queensland than any other State or Territory,” Mr Roberts said. “As at 31 May this year, there was a QAS operational staff member for every 1540 people in Queensland. The national average was one ambulance officer to 2232 people,” Mr Roberts said the Bligh Government had committed funding to recruit 505 additional ambulance officers in 2007-08 and 2008-09. About 320 of the additional officers have been recruited with the 255 funded in 2007-08 appointed and almost 70 of the 250 funded this financial year also appointed. “The ratio of people per ambulance officer has improved in recent years – from one officer for every 1868 people in 2003-04 to one for 1685 people in 2006-07 and down to 1540 at the end of May,” he said. Mr Roberts said the QAS provided a highly skilled and dedicated service for communities across the State. Ambulance operatives include qualified ambulance officers, students and base level ambulance officers, patient transport officers, clinical and communications staff. § New and extra ambulance officers and firefighters have injected new talent into both services, while maintaining experience in the QAS and Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS). "More than three-quarters of QAS operational staff and 85% of Queensland firefighters have more than three years’ experience. At 31 May, 1994 full-time equivalent firefighters boasted more than three years’ experience compared to 1953 in 2006-07,” Mr Roberts said. At 31 May, the QAS boasted 2096 full-time equivalent operational staff with more than three years’ experience compared to 1913 in 2006-07. Mr Roberts said the recruitment of 505 additional ambulance officers, funded in 2007-08 and 2008-09, would be made up of student paramedics as well as qualified paramedics drawn from interstate and overseas. “As part of the overseas recruitment strategy, the QAS is targeted qualified advanced care paramedics with more than three years’ experience on the road,” he said. Mr Roberts said QFRS was training a record 160 new firefighter recruits in 2008. § The QAS and QFRS have comprehensive training programs for new recruits aspiring to join ambulance and fire and rescue officers on the frontline. “In 2007-08, the QAS and QFRS combined will spend $12.67 million – the equivalent of more than $1 million per month – on training for entry level officers,” Mr Roberts said. “QFRS trained 135 new recruits in 2007-08, while the QAS trained 243 recruits over the same period.” § Like any major organisation, the QAS and QFRS have retirements and separations from their existing staff. “The separation rates for both organisations is comparatively low. The Ambulance Audit last year reported the QFRS and QAS had separation rates of 2.4% and 3.9% respectively, and the Queensland public sector average separation rate of 6.4%,” Mr Roberts said. 21 May 2008 Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3247 8194