Following on from the tireless efforts of our local health heroes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for hospital and ambulance services across Australia is unprecedented.
Those services are under serious stress.
The NSW Government has therefore announced massive boosts to its health spending as part of its 2022-23 Budget.
It will invest $4.5 billion to recruit over 10,000 full-time equivalent staff to hospitals and health services across NSW over four years, in Australia's largest-ever health workforce boost. Around 7,700 more workers will be recruited in the first year, which will help ease pressure on COVID-fatigued health staff and fast track more elective surgery for patients. The additional staff will include nurses and midwives, doctors, paramedics, pathologists and scientific staff, pharmacists and allied health professionals.
We've never seen demand for NSW Ambulance services like it is now. There's now an average of around 3,500 Triple Zero calls every day. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a busy day was around 3,000 Triple Zero calls.
So in addition to the $4.5 billion investment referred to above, the NSW Government is also boosting NSW Ambulance in a $1.76 billion investment over four years. This will fund 2,128 new staff and 30 more ambulance stations. The 2,128 new staff will comprise 1,858 frontline staff, 210 ambulance support staff, 52 nurses and eight doctors.
The NSW Government's $4.5 billion investment over four years will relieve pressure on existing staff and ensure there are appropriate levels of health staffing for new health infrastructure, such as the new operating theatres under construction at Sutherland Hospital.
The NSW Government has delivered 170 hospitals and health facilities since 2011, with a further 110 underway.