PARAMEDICS

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (14:31): My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Can the minister please update the house on the government's investment in more front-line paramedics?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:32): I thank the member for Ramsay for her question. The government is investing an extra $4 million a year to boost front-line ambulance services in South Australia. This important investment in emergency care will see an extra 34 paramedics on the job. South Australia's demand for ambulance services has increased by an average of 8 per cent over each of the past five years.

The ambulance service has already taken important steps to meet this demand, including the introduction of bicycle and motorbike response crews, extended care paramedics and a new computer-aided dispatch system; innovative steps that have made sure that our ambulance service remains one of the best in the nation. The government's decision to boost frontline staff means that the SA Ambulance Service will have the staff and resources it needs to meet demand in the future and continue to provide world-class emergency care for South Australians in need.

The extra money will provide for a combination of Single Paramedic Response and Intervention (SPRINT) and traditional two-person emergency ambulance crews. In addition to these extra frontline paramedics, the government also plans to increase staffing levels in the emergency operations centre, making sure that the wellbeing of patients and staff remains the top priority.

Our paramedics and ambulance officers are incredibly committed professionals who provide life-saving medical care to South Australians. Can I thank them for their hard work and congratulate them for the high quality service they provide. The government's new investment will mean that their service continues to improve and that the SA Ambulance Service remains one of the best ambulance services in the country.