House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time SA Ambulance Service Workforce SA Ambulance Service Workforce Ms PRATT House of Assembly Frome SA Ambulance Service Workforce Ms PRATT (Frome) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. How many regional communities are currently vulnerable due to workforce shortages for ambulance stations? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain. Leave granted. Ms PRATT House of Assembly Frome Ms PRATT: The Ambulance Employees Association has raised concerns that entire communities will be left without coverage due to 136 vacant shifts for the next week. The Hon. C.J. PICTON House of Assembly Kaurna Minister for Health and Wellbeing The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:32): It is quite incredible to get this sort of question from the opposition when they starved the Ambulance Service of resources for their four years in government to the point where they actually cut the funding to the Ambulance Service. We have made a very clear commitment as part of our operational improvement plans for the SA Ambulance Service. It is not just about the city, it is about country regions as well, and 150 of our 350 extra ambos are going into regional South Australia. Already, 108 of those have been recruited— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Flinders can leave until the end of question time. The honourable member for Flinders having withdrawn from the chamber: The Hon. C.J. PICTON House of Assembly Kaurna Minister for Health and Wellbeing The Hon. C.J. PICTON: Already, we have seen places like Wallaroo now having emergency cover for the first time ever. We have seen expansions in the South-East at places like Mount Gambier. We have seen expansions in the Upper Spencer Gulf in places like Whyalla and Port Augusta, not to mention the expansions that are happening in our peri-urban areas as well: Victor Harbor, Goolwa, Mount Barker, Strathalbyn and Two Wells. All of these expansions are going into our regional Ambulance Service, which was deprived of resources previously. We are investing in extra staff to go in there. We have also, thankfully, seen an increase in volunteering in the past year as well, which is very welcome, but we are making sure that we are putting in the resources to support our regional ambos in the incredible work that they do.