#SYSTEMCRITICAL
YOUR PROVINCIAL PARAMEDICS ARE IN TROUBLE
#SYSTEMCRITICAL
Paramedics and Dispatchers of New Brunswick need your help!
ISSUES
The Paramedic and Dispatcher's Union (CUPE Local 4848) are in crisis when it comes to staffing levels within their field in our Province.
Senior officials running the system within the Department of health and Ambulance NB are not doing enough to solve the issue.
RECRUITMENT
Broken recruitment practices within Ambulance New Brunswick have led to more than 100 open permanent Paramedic and Dispatcher positions.
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This is leaving rural communities having to wait longer for life saving interventions.
STAFF SHORTAGES
Staff Shortages have cost over $6.7 Million in Overtime Wages.
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On average a paramedic and dispatcher must work an extra 300 hours per year in a very stressful occupation. This is adding an extra 2 months of work in a 12-month period.
THE PITFALL
This is leading to more paramedics being out of work due to workplace injuries or simply workload burnout, which then creates even further strain on the employees.
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10% of Ambulance new Brunswick work force are off work due to work place injuries
AMBULANCEÂ
VSÂ
RAPID RESPONCE UNIT
The Minister of Health announced the launch of a Pilot Project to place Rapid Response Units in 5 Rural Communities across the province. The purpose to get medical aid to rural New Brunswicker's because there are not enough paramedics to properly staff the Ambulances that are in these communities.
AMBULANCE
Two fully qualified Paramedics provide you with immediate medical care.
A fully equipped ambulance can deal with issues in the field.
You get CARE and TRANSPORTATION without DELAY.
RAPID RESPONSE UNIT
You will have only ONE trained Paramedic on site.
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It will NOT ALLOW for TRANSPORTATION to a Healthcare facility.
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The Rapid Response Unit Paramedic will also have to WAIT on site For An Ambulance to arrive, delaying proper medical care from a Healthcare facility.
OUR POSITION
The Paramedic and Dispatcher's Union does not agree with placing Rapid Response Units into the system at this time. Until the staffing shortages are corrected this will only add to the crisis currently being experienced.
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Without additional Paramedics, this will be taking qualified staff out of the ambulance rotation and placing them into a single unit for response.
This will mean the system will have fewer Ambulances prepared to respond to your 911 calls and provide immediate transport.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Consider lowering the entry level for language requirements from a 2+ to 2 until the staffing levels improve. Currently, less thank 30% of the people working in the field have a 2+.
Provide more funding for language training to those interested in becoming bilingual within the workforce.
Reinstate the paramedic grant program to encourage more people to become paramedics.
Provide incentives to keep existing paramedics and dispatchers in New Brunswick.
CUPE 4848
CUPE local 4848 supports a fully bilingual Ambulance Service In New Brunswick.
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We are more than willing to work out positive solutions.
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To continue ignoring these recommendations and continue down the current path is putting the citizens of Rural New Brunswick at Risk