Labor and the Greens say Tasmania's health system is in crisis after a second death linked to a delayed ambulance this month. A man in Zeehan who reported chest pain and breathing difficulties died after a crew from Burnie arrived 78 minutes after he called Triple Zero. The local station was unstaffed due to unfilled leave, and nearby paramedics were busy with other cases. Health Department figures show about 11 per cent of paramedic shifts have been unfilled since July last year.
A man in his 60s died on Tasmania's west coast while waiting for an ambulance that took nearly 80 minutes to reach him. He called Triple Zero from the Zeehan area on Saturday, reporting chest pains and breathing problems. The Zeehan ambulance was unstaffed because of an unfilled roster gap, and nearby crews were attending other calls, so an ambulance from Burnie was sent. It arrived about 78 minutes after the call, but the man had already died. The Department of Health offered its condolences and said a comprehensive investigation will be held.
Labor says the Tasmanian government has budgeted 44 per cent less for paramedic overtime this year than it spent last year. Right to Information data obtained by Labor shows paramedics worked 125,725 hours of overtime in 2025-26, costing $12.7 million. The government has budgeted $7.1 million this year. Labor MP Sarah Lovell said the cut forms part of Treasurer Eric Abetz's plan to take $700 million out of the health budget and could mean fewer ambulances on the road. Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the government had been employing more paramedics and was responding to rising demand.
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Queensland paramedics say they are spending entire 12-hour shifts with patients stuck outside overcrowded emergency departments. Latest figures show 42 per cent of ambulance patients at the state's top 26 public hospitals waited more than 30 minutes to be transferred in August. QEII Hospital recorded the highest rate in Queensland at 64.8 per cent. A 51-year-old man was found dead about two hours after calling Triple Zero, and an investigation is underway. Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the government remained hopeful of meeting its target of under 30 per cent by 2028.
The family of a 51-year-old man who died at his Annerley home while waiting two hours for an ambulance says they learnt of the delays through the media. His brother Daniel said the family wants to know whether something could have been done. Health Minister Tim Nicholls said he was told of the death on Monday and apologised to the family. Opposition leader Steven Miles blamed ramping in Queensland hospitals. A review of the incident has been ordered.
A review has been launched after a 53-year-old man died at his Annerley home in Brisbane while waiting two hours for paramedics. He had called Triple Zero on Saturday night with chest pains. Separately, a man in his 80s died shortly after going into cardiac arrest, following about three hours waiting for a bed at Mater Private Hospital. Health Minister Tim Nicholls offered condolences and said both cases would be reviewed. Ambulance ramping stands at 42 per cent across Queensland's top 26 public hospital emergency departments.
A 53-year-old man died at his home in Annerley, Brisbane, after waiting around two hours for paramedics following a triple-0 call reporting chest pain. He was triaged in the Code 1C category, described as potentially time-critical, and an operator phoned back about five minutes later, when he reportedly said his condition was unchanged. The Queensland Ambulance Service has offered its condolences and says a review is underway, though it is limited in what it can disclose. Health Minister Tim Nicholls described the circumstances as tragic and said lessons would be applied if identified.
Stakeholders say the Tasmanian government has failed to act on ambulance ramping and hospital bed blocking after a Hobart man died. His family drove him to the Royal Hobart Hospital because no ambulance was available, though he was categorised as urgent. The health department said it would investigate the incident. The Health and Community Services Union said three ambulances were ramped at the hospital at the time. The premier said a 60-minute transfer protocol had freed up 30,000 extra ambulance hours. Paramedic union figures disputed this, saying conditions are worsening.
NSW Ambulance has deployed 11 newly trained Extended Care Paramedics across the Sydney region. The paramedics can treat patients whose needs can be safely managed without a trip to an emergency department. They can also be sent to areas with high demand, including those recovering from severe weather or incidents involving many patients. Health Minister Ryan Park said the new class would boost emergency care available to communities across Sydney. This is the 27th Extended Care Paramedic course run by NSW Ambulance since the program began in 2007.
Melbourne man Ben Turner, who survived a tram collision on Kings Way in South Melbourne in 2005, will run the full Melbourne Marathon on October 11. He is raising money for Ambulance Victoria and The Alfred Foundation, with a target of $10,000 for each. When paramedics reached him, his heart had stopped and he was not breathing, yet they saved him. He later spent four weeks in hospital, including 23 days in intensive care. Turner says he wants to recognise the emergency workers who helped him, and he stays in touch with the paramedics involved.
A man in his 20s is fighting for his life after a pool jump went badly wrong in Hawthorne, in Brisbane's east. Emergency services were called to a home around 11.22pm on Saturday after reports he had been seriously injured in a fall. He had reportedly tried to jump into the pool from a height of five metres. Paramedics treated him for a serious, potentially life-threatening leg injury before taking him to the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Queensland police have been contacted for comment.
