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A new boost to the number of Queensland ambulance officers must be centrally funded in this month’s state budget.

The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) has approved up to 90 new staff to fill holes caused by the ongoing hospital crisis.

United Workers Union National Ambulance Coordinator Fiona Scalon said these places must remain as additional to the already projected 475 additional ambulance officers over the next four years.

“The severe shortfall of ambulance officers out in the community, due to the hospital and health service (HHS) crisis, required QAS to get more bodies on the ground now, whilst the service waits for other funding initiatives to be rolled out and begin to take effect,” Ms Scalon said.

“QAS is in the process of hiring and onboarding up to 90 new staff to permanent positions to meet the needs today, but these positions must become centrally funded through the next state budget.

“Our members are calling for these positions to be kept as additional to the already forecast growth figures for the service. As these positions serve to relieve wait times within the community as exponential numbers of ambulances remain ramped across the state due to the current HHS crisis,” she said.

ENDS 

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