The Hodgman Liberal Government is working to ensure our Ambulance Tasmania paramedics are given the resources to do their job and save Tasmanian lives.
New data released under Right to Information today, shows that the rate of missed meal breaks for paramedics continues to trend down.
Paramedics who are unable to take their meal break within the prescribed period if they are called to attend an emergency, are paid an allowance in accordance with award provisions and Ambulance Tasmania’s Meal Break Policy.
Data shows that during the 2015-2016 financial year, a total of 12,750 allowances were paid to paramedics across the state, with costs totalling $255,000.
This is an improvement compared to 2012-2013 – the last full financial year under the Labor/Green Government – when paramedics missed 13,739 meal breaks at a cost of $137,384.
The reason that costs have increased is because the missed meal break allowance was increased as part of the 2013 Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA).
Since coming to Government we have funded 20 additional paramedics, begun a review into increasing paramedics’ scope of practice under our Patients First Action Plan, provided additional anti-violence training and introduced a Bill for mandatory minimum sentences for serious assaults.
The Hodgman Government will continue to work to get the best outcomes for our paramedic workforce and the broader Tasmanian community.
The RTI can be found here: https://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/about_the_department/your_rights/rti/right_to_information_disclosure_log