Paramedics Work Load

[GOLDIE]

This is the story the queensland government did not want out.

They have gaged the paramedics of the qld ambulance service but they could not gage me as I am only the partner of one of there paramedics.

The story started a few months ago when I became very concerned about the hours that my girlfriend was working as a paramedic in qld.

After lobbbing the preimeir and the minister in charge of them on a number of times only to fall on deaf ears and not even getting a response.

I sent all the info and concerns I have to the oppersition and within two hours I not only had a response I had there media guy on the phone and two days latter this is the story and the queensland ambulance service backed down and allowed my girl friend to talk.

I will give a time line of the 36 hours

8am starts shift

8.30 am first of three jobs in a row

12.30 drives one hour patient transfer to next town

1.30 pm lunch

2.00pm drives one hour back to station

4.00pm picks up patient from hospital and than another from the hospitail in the other town

Drives 3 hours to north of brisbane and unloads one patient

8.00pm drives to southside of brisbane and unloads second patient

9.15 get qiuck dinner

9.45 drives back home.

12.45am arrives home

2.45 am woken to a code 1

3.30 am bake to bed.

6.00 am I wake her so she can get her daughter to school(we do live 3 hours apart)

8.00am back to bed

11.30 I call again so she can get ready to start at 1.00pm

12.45 she gets another code 1 call

3.30 drives 1 hour to next town to pick up patient

4.45pm she drives back to her town

6.00pm walks in the door

6.05pm gets code 1 call to road accident

7.45pm home and gets first meal for the day and some sleep

6.00am up again to start the next day.

Ian

Even after see this shift and all the emails I have sent they still do not beleive there is a major problem with the service.

This happens alot it is nothing for the paramedics to work 14 to 17 hour days and also 13 days straight.

[GOLDIE]

As a side story the paper ran another story about the fact that there is a lot of ambulances that breakdown on there way to jobs and even code 1's.

And they say that this is not a problem.

code 1"s are argent jobs where it could be the difference between saving a life or losing one.

Ian

[jsmith]

Well all I can say is good luck and hope you guys get some satisfactory working hours.

At least it is in ht open now and this article will open a lot of eyes.

Well done Ian.

[XRT-16]

wow I didn't relies you guys were such a taxi service.. I always though just emergency's.. well your doing a good job hope they do something for them

[Dillz]

I've always had the upmost respect for Paramedics, even more so now. I can't believe yet another ignore it and it will go away response from the goverment.

[GOLDIE]

The commisoner is still not fully believing this.

That is he says that QLD has the best systems in place to manage these situition but he will not answer why it is still going on.

But at least the deputy commish is now visiting her station for the first time in 2 years today to talk to julie and her work mates.

Most of you guys don't realise that here in QLD the labour government charge us a levy on our power bills to pay for the ambulance service and have done for a number of years but the service has gone backwards and no one will say where the money is going.

On the power bill for the workshop I pay $102.00 a year and I think home is $50 a year.

Ian

[Dillz]

  GOLDIE said:

Most of you guys don't realise that here in QLD the labour government charge us a levy on our power bills to pay for the ambulance service and have done for a number of years but the service has gone backwards and no one will say where the money is going.

On the power bill for the workshop I pay $102.00 a year and I think home is $50 a year.

Ian

Is that even if your a Member?

[tab]

No such thing as ambulance subscribers up here any more - everyone with a power meter pays!

& good work Ian

[GOLDIE]

You are right tab and those of us that run our own biusness pay twice.

Ian

[Maximus]

Ian, Things will only change when the people who make decisions family members die because of a broken down ambulance or a Paramedic that has been awake for 20 hours straight. But then it is too late.