Communities across NSW will benefit from an extra 221 paramedics and call centre staff to be employed with funding from a record State Budget for NSW Ambulance.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said more than $1 billion will be invested in NSW Ambulance this financial year.

“This time last year, we announced the biggest paramedic workforce boost in the State’s history with plans for 750 extra staff over four years,” Mr Perrottet said.

“Today, another record Budget for NSW Ambulance will deliver the second tranche of staff from that commitment – 221 paramedics and call centre staff across the State.”

Minister for Health and Medical Research Brad Hazzard said only the strong economic management of a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government could make good on this promise.

“Labor did nothing in its 16 years in office to future-proof our ambulance services but across NSW, the Liberals & Nationals are getting it done, delivering services and infrastructure,” Mr Hazzard said.

“We need to look after the people who look after us and by boosting our paramedic workforce in both metropolitan and regional areas, we can try and make a very stressful job, a little less so.”

Since 2011, as part of the Rural Ambulance Infrastructure Reconfiguration (RAIR) program and Sydney Ambulance Metropolitan Infrastructure Strategy (SAMIS) we have built or upgraded 14 stations in rural and regional NSW and nine superstations across Sydney.

Another nine stations will be delivered in regional NSW and three in Sydney due to the continued record investment in our Ambulance services.

The investment of more than $1 billion in services and capital works includes:

• $27.1 million in 2019-20 to employ an additional 221 paramedics and call centre staff (part of 750 paramedics and call centre staff over four years) to improve response times, reduce paramedic fatigue and support safety
• continuing the $184.0 million SAMIS ($16.4 million in 2019-20) to deliver modern, new superstations. Superstations have been completed at Artarmon, Bankstown, Blacktown, Caringbah, Haberfield, Kogarah, Liverpool, Northmead and Penrith. A site has been acquired for the Randwick superstation and planning is underway for Mona Vale and Central Sydney
• continuing the $122.1 million RAIR program ($31.1 million in 2019-20) to improve the delivery of emergency care for people in rural and regional areas. Stations have been completed at Ardlethan, Bathurst, St George Basin, Berry, Coolamon, Griffith, Hamlyn Terrace (Wyong), Harden, Kiama, Molong, Pottsville, Toukley, Wagga Wagga and Wauchope. Construction is underway at Rutherford, Yass, Birmingham Gardens, Grenfell, Goulburn, Cowra and Bungendore. Future stations in the RAIR program include Cootamundra and Sawtell (Coffs Harbour). In addition to RAIR, an ambulance station is also planned for Iluka.

The NSW Government will also invest a total of $7.5 million to support developing a digital solution to enable the transfer of clinical observation data from the ambulance to the hospital in real time, saving precious moments on a patient’s arrival at the ED.