The Ambulance Employees’ Association has attacked the Treasurer for public comments claiming that due to a number of ambos preferring not to come to work on their days off there is some risk to patient safety.
“The Government, through Mr Lucas, is trying to mis-lead the public into thinking there will be a dangerous shortage of ambulance crews on the coming public holiday” Association Secretary Phil Palmer said today, “his claims are spurious; the reality is that on every day of every week there is a dangerous shortage of ambulance crews and Communications staff all over the state, a shortage that Mr Lucas has ignored since coming to office.”
“The facts are that ambulance crewing is traditionally less on most public holidays as a matter of course, and this one is no different” Mr Palmer said “The only shortage is the one created by Government refusal to fund SA Ambulance properly, and the reality is that SAAS has more than enough ‘spare’ officers to cover any unexpected vacancy that might occur. Mr Lucas must be aware of these facts but has chosen, for reasons of his own, not to let on.”
