The ACT Ambulance Service requires 83 additional ambulance officers to adequately staff its new roster system, according to an internal review. The review reveals that response times to life-threatening emergencies are worsening, and night shifts fail to meet minimum staffing levels 96 per cent of the time.
The new roster system, implemented despite warnings from government officials two years ago, has led to temporary closures of some ambulance stations. An internal Emergency Services Agency brief from 2023 had cautioned against implementing the roster without sufficient officers.
Under the previous roster, 62 per cent of night shifts were adequately staffed, compared to just 4 per cent under the new system. Day shifts also suffer, with minimum crew requirements unmet 57 per cent of the time, up from 23 per cent previously.
Response times have slipped: 90 per cent of priority one call-outs arrived within 16.7 minutes in 2023-24, exceeding the 15-minute target. For priority two call-outs, 90 per cent of responses took just over two hours, up from 1 hour 40 minutes.
ACT Ambulance Service Chief Officer David Dutton described the understaffing as 'chronic' but said the risk to the community was low. However, Transport Workers Union official Ben Sweaney noted that night shift staffing is 'very much on a knife's edge.'
The review includes 13 recommendations. ESA Commissioner Wayne Phillips welcomed the report, calling it a 'foundation to build on.' Demand for ambulance services increased by 7.8 per cent in 2024-25, compounding the staffing issues.
