MEDIA STATEMENT
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Ambulance Employees Association of Western Australia

Monday 24 February 2025

CRITICAL AMBULANCE SHORTAGES PUTTING WESTERN AUSTRALIAN LIVES AT RISK
The Ambulance Employees Association of Western Australia (AEAWA) is deeply concerned about the worsening ambulance crisis in Western Australia, where systemic failures are putting lives in danger. At 9:00 PM on Friday, 21 February, ambulance standby capacity hit zero percent—meaning no ambulances were available to respond to emergencies anywhere between Two Rocks and Mandurah. This dangerous scenario has occurred multiple times in the past week alone.

The 2024 Parliamentary Inquiry into Ambulance Services confirmed that low standby capacity contributes to St John WA’s failure to meet response time targets (Finding 36, p.91). The previous Emergency Ambulance Services Agreement funded 45.7% standby capacity, yet the new agreement is hidden from public scrutiny under ‘commercial in confidence’ secrecy. The public has no way of knowing whether ambulance services are meeting required standards.

Ambulance ramping remains a major issue, with paramedics stuck caring for patients who cannot be admitted to overcrowded emergency departments. The Inquiry highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in ambulance services, given the direct impact on patient lives (Point 5.105). AEAWA is aware of multiple critical incidents, including a young father in cardiac arrest in Perth’s southern suburbs, where ambulance delays may have contributed to poor patient outcomes. These cases underscore the devastating consequences of ambulance shortages.

The crisis is so severe that St John WA has offered triple overtime 54 times since March 2023, including three times in the past week alone. Despite these extreme measures, staffing shortages remain. Paramedics are exhausted, overworked, and at breaking point.

Of particular concern is the lack of transparency in reporting mechanisms. For the first time in WA’s history, the entire Emergency Ambulance Services Agreement has been classified as ‘commercial in confidence’. AEAWA’s Freedom of Information request for this vital public safety data was rejected by WA Health and is now under review by the Information Commissioner.

While the Productivity Commission report states an average ambulance response time of 9.6 minutes, St John WA’s own website shows only 80% of Priority 1 cases are reached within 15 minutes—falling well below the 90% target. This discrepancy raises serious concerns about data accuracy.

The AEAWA calls for urgent action:

• Immediate enforcement of the Inquiry’s Recommendation 16, mandating minimum ambulance standby capacity levels (p.92)
• Urgent measures to fix hospital ramping
• Full transparency through public release of the Emergency Ambulance Services Agreement
• Sustainable workforce solutions to end reliance on excessive overtime

Lives are at stake. The WA Government must act now.

Ambulance Employees Association WA
ABN 66 550 017 640
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0411 129 797

On behalf of the Executive Committee
Ambulance Employees Association of WA