A Minns Labor Government will invest $70 million to build three new helicopter ambulance bases, to reduce emergency health response times in regional and rural NSW.

This will build on Labor’s plan for long term repair and structural reform of the delivery of health care services across NSW, having already announced an additional 500 paramedics in Labor’s first term, to ease the burden of chronic paramedic shortages and the unprecedented strain on our rural and regional health system.  

Helicopter ambulances 

There are currently six bases across the state. Labor’s commitment will mean an additional 50 per cent increase in available helicopter bases in NSW.

Each base will be equipped with an ambulance helicopter as well as a road based ambulance. 

The locations of the bases will be determined by need, as well as proximity to appropriate health facilities and air infrastructure and resources. 

The bases will commence operation within the next term of a Labor government. 

There is currently a significant disparity between rural and urban emergency health response times. 

Response times surge under NSW Liberals & Nationals 

Patients in rural areas are waiting longer for emergency medical responses, according to the latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) data. 

Just over half (56.8 per cent) of Priority 1A (P1A) life threatening cases in rural areas were responded to within the clinically recommended 10 minutes.

This is compared to over two thirds (66.8 per cent) of P1A cases responded to within 10 minutes in urban areas.

This is consistent with the trend of escalating health response times under the NSW Liberals and Nationals over the past 12 years. 

The last BHI data released last week shows:

• 67,898 patients walked into an Emergency Department in the last 3 months and left without, or before completing treatment.  
• Almost half of all critical emergency patients presenting to the ED did not have their treatment start on time.
• One in 10 patients who were treated and admitted spent more than 19 hours and 57 minutes in the ED.
• Almost 40 per cent of life threatening patients, with conditions like cardiac or respiratory arrest, waited longer than the 10-minute target for an ambulance to arrive.
• Almost 100,000 people were on elective surgery waiting lists at the end of December, including more than to 17,000 who had waited longer than clinical guidelines say they should.

Labor’s fresh start for health and hospitals in NSW 

Labor has a comprehensive long-term plan to redesign and repair the health system and deliver a fresh start for health in New South Wales. A Minns Labor Government will:

• Implement Safe Staffing levels in NSW hospitals. It will help with workloads; it will take pressure off nurses and ensure they can treat patients with the care they deserve and need.
• An additional 500 rural and regional paramedics in Labor’s first term, supported by three new helicopter ambulance bases.
• Returning 600 beds to Western Sydney after 365 were across NSW by the Liberals since 2016.
• Upgrades to Canterbury, Fairfield, Mount Druitt and Blacktown Hospitals and opening the new Eurobodalla Hospital at Level 4.
• A commitment to build Rouse Hill Hospital including an emergency department.

Quotes attributable to Chris Minns, NSW Labor Leader: 

“It shouldn’t matter if you live in rural or regional NSW, or Western Sydney, everyone in NSW should be able to access quality healthcare in a reasonable and appropriate timeframe.

“Under Labor we’ll have more ambulance bases, more paramedics for the regions.

“We’ll repair and rebuild our health system after 12 years of neglect, starting by looking after the people who look after us – our paramedics, hospital workers and nurses.”

Quotes attributable to Ryan Park, NSW Shadow Minister for Health: 

“What we have seen under 12 years of the Liberals and Nationals are wait times surging, and some people waiting so long they just simply give up and walk out. 

“The reforms we have outlined today will significantly enhance our health care capacity across the state.

“More helicopter ambulance bases in our regions to slash the wait times and disparity with our urban areas.”

CHRIS MINNS MP 

NSW LABOR LEADER

RYAN PARK MP

NSW SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH