Craig Page, Ambulance Sector Coordinator for the National Distribution Union says Wairarapa ambulance services are chronically short staffed, under resourced and at risk of failing.

"This is partly because they pay their paramedics $10,000 a year less than their St John counterparts.

"We are trying to negotiate a multi employer collective agreement to bring all the paramedics in the district on to the same conditions but the DHB refuses to come to the table.

"An improved agreement would provide a platform for ensuring paramedics could be retained and recruited and be the first step towards establishing a safe and sustainable service for the area."

Mr Page says the base ambulance coverage during normal working hours is two ambulances for a population of nearly 40,000.

"This is critically low and because of the isolation of the area there is a real risk that if the workload were above normal, or there was a serious event, the service would not cope."

Contact
Craig Page
Ambulance Sector Coordinator
National Distribution Union
Ph. 021 776 026