Their union will meet with NSW Ambulance management before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission in Wollongong on Monday to call for minimum operating levels to be maintained at all times.

Health Services Union Illawarra sub-branch president David McCormack said the current fatigue management policy meant that often only half the region’s stations were fully operational at the start of day shift.

‘’The current on-call arrangements at a number of Illawarra stations means that paramedics are regularly called back in at night after a 12-hour shift,’’ Mr McCormack said.

‘’These paramedics then need to take advantage of a ‘’sleep-in’’ the next morning to combat fatigue before they start their next shift. 

‘’So the Illawarra commences many shifts with less available ambulances than it should have – and those that are available have to cover a larger area to make up the shortfall.

‘’What we are asking is that NSW Ambulance backfills these positions so we start each day shift fully staffed to best service the community.’’

Mr McCormack said stations could be non-operational for up to 12 hours while one or more paramedics slept in.

He said the situation was compounded by chronic understaffing, with at least 40 additional paramedics and six ambulances needed in the region.

‘’The obvious solution to this issue is to allocate more permanent staff to this area – there hasn’t been a decent look at staffing levels for 20 years despite the rapidly growing population,’’ he said.

‘’If all our stations were staffed 24/7, then we wouldn’t have to rely on an on-call system which just leaves us under-resourced and fatigued.

‘’Currently some paramedics in the Illawarra are on duty or on call for a combined 72 hours which is unsafe and unsustainable.’’

Mr McCormack said there had been a push for some years to correct the system, but management continued to put it in the ‘’too hard basket’’.

‘’We need more ambulances, more paramedics and better management of resources,’’ he said.

‘’Workable and sensible alternatives have been presented to local management, and yet, the problem continues.’’

However NSW Ambulance has maintained that the Illawarra region is fully staffed.  

‘’NSW Ambulance is continuing to work proactively to address union concerns regarding fatigue and other staffing issues and will return to the NSW IRC on Monday,’’ a spokesman said.

According to NSW Ambulance, the roster system in place in the region was working in a number of other areas across the state.

‘’The mix of on-call and 24/7 stations is an operational model used throughout NSW, not just in the Illawarra region.’’

The NSW Ambulance Fatigue Management Policy, applicable to all paramedics, states that:

“An on call paramedic who has been called out for an extended period of time(s) and has lost significant sleep can request to rest/sleep-in at home in lieu of commencing their normal shift if they feel fatigued.

“If an on-call paramedic feels they are fatigued, they can request to stand down and rest undisturbed.’’