Legislative Council, Wednesday 23 November 2022

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I will speak briefly so we can try to get home nearly on time. I rise again on adjournment to discuss the ambulance services in Circular Head. Further information has come to me and I ask the Leader if she would work hard to get some sort of response from the Premier and minister for Health in response to these issues, which I will reiterate and raise.

The information came to me from the General Manager of the Circular Head Council. I will read most of the email that she sent to me:

I am following up on our recent meeting with an issue that is becoming increasingly of local concern. I have seen your FB post on (lack of) ambulance coverage in Smithton. There was also a front-page article in the Chronicle this week on the subject outlining recent local experience which may be of interest.

Thank you for raising this in parliament. It is an issue of increasing local concern. The single ambulance and paramedic is a real potential point of systemic failure. We wrote to the Premier on 5 September outlining the lack of coverage and expressing grave concern over the risks to the community and received [what is described here as] a bland response on 4 October which explained to us the coverage we currently have.

We do get this sometimes. I did not see the email that was sent but that is why the email was sent because the council was identifying the shortage. That response:

… moved us [ the Circular Head Council] no further forward and held out no hope of change. We were advised that the 10 year Master Plan is being prepared, but we need something more concrete and soon.

While our paramedic is supported by eight volunteers, they are limited by training and qualifications as to what they can do and although we are grateful for their willingness to assist, they are not substitute paramedics.

Circular Head Youth Leaders sent a detailed letter to the new Mayor earlier this month outlining recent accidents and wait times, expressing their concern and asking us to advocate for the community so you will understand that momentum for action is gathering. We are keen to harness the energy and would be interested to discuss how best to approach this. I personally feel that another letter to the Premier is unlikely to achieve improved outcomes for the community.

That is why I am asking for a more urgent response tomorrow from the Premier and the minister for Health on this very critical and urgent problem.

I also had a message from a constituent who is a volunteer ambulance officer. He said they have been volunteering for 29 years and they have never known it so bad.

That person says:

I really feel for the vollies you cop the flack in this up the street. [when people are not attended to early enough.]

That person has handed in her uniform.