A paramedic working at the Ambulance Victoria call centre in Ballarat has described the situation as “horrific” and “dangerous”. They expressed concerns about the lack of senior clinician advice available to call-takers, which could impact patients quickly. A WorkSafe report confirms that staff have reported stress, headaches, nausea, and turnover intention, with inadequate management support and unmanageable workloads. Plans to train more staff had not begun, despite Ambulance Victoria being aware of the risk to staff since 2020.
A psychological risk assessment report commissioned by Ambulance Victoria found that call-centre staff were exposed to high levels of risk due to inadequate support from leadership, work overload, low job control, vicarious trauma, and a lack of organizational justice. The report also highlighted that 87% of clinicians had a high risk of burnout or reduced wellbeing, with concerns raised about night-shift staff shortages impacting rapid decision-making. Ambulance Victoria officials have acknowledged the dangers to psychological health and are working towards addressing the issues by July 8 to avoid potential court action.
WorkSafe inspectors visited the Ballarat centre and found that an improvement notice issued in December had not been adequately addressed. The watchdog plans to return on July 8 to check progress, with potential for prosecution and fines approaching $2 million if proven in court. Lead WorkSafe inspector Leah Dighton expressed concerns about clinicians still being at risk due to current Workcover claims, stress, and illness that could lead to a desire to avoid working night shifts alone. Ambulance Victoria attempted to introduce an overtime shift to help at night, but it was only staffed half the time and not filled during the inspection.
Ambulance Victoria executive director Anthony Carlyon acknowledged the workforce challenges and emphasized that patient safety and the welfare of staff would not be compromised. He mentioned working with clinicians to address concerns raised by WorkSafe and the possibility of reorganizing the system to have clinicians work from alternate communication centers. Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill reiterated concerns about the dangerous understaffing in critical areas, emphasizing the need for more support crew to ensure proper service delivery to the community. Both Hill and Carlyon recognize the urgency of addressing these issues to prevent further risks to patient care and staff wellbeing.
The leaked documents and reports from the Ambulance Victoria call center reveal a troubling situation with significant risks to staff and patient safety. With ongoing concerns about management support, workloads, and burnout among clinicians, WorkSafe has issued warnings and potential for prosecution if issues are not resolved. The calls for increased staff support and addressing the existing challenges are crucial to ensuring that the community receives the quality care and coordination needed in critical situations. The pressure is on Ambulance Victoria to take immediate action to improve conditions and prevent further risks to all involved.
