'Dictatorship': ACT Ambulance Services wants to split from ESA and JACS, TWU says

There is a "toxic" relationship between ambos, the ACT Emergency Services Agency and Justice and Community Safety Directorate, one paramedic said.

Ambulance workers called for the ACT Ambulance Service to be devolved from the Emergency Services Agency into a standalone statutory authority at a Transport Workers Union (TWU) on Monday.

The body would report directly to the Minister.

Union members also passed a second no-confidence motion in Emergency Services Commissioner Georgeina Whelan.

The ACT's amalgamated emergency services is one of the best in the country, Emergency Services Minister Mick Gentleman said.

"The government is proud of the collaborative and effective model of wholistic emergency services we support and fund for our community," he said.

Emergency services and justice directorate are out-of-step with the ambulance agency, intensive care paramedic and union delegate Kieran Hitchenson said.

"ACTAS is viewed as the redheaded stepchild of the ESA," Mr Hitchenson said.

"No one likes us, although we do 90 per cent of the work.

"We just go about our business and try and get things done, but other organisations that are louder and more vocal about their issues always get the cookies."

Cultural issues within the ESA are harmful for paramedics, Mr Hitchenson said.

"Alleged bullying is a big problem within ESA and that doesn't happen just to people within the staff, but [also] alleged bullying against our senior management team [and towards] Fire and Rescue as well," he said.

Ambos are also keen to remain separate from the health directorate, which is responsible for paramedics in every other state and territory.

They are concerned it would lead to ramping, where paramedics wait in vehicles outside hospitals.

The union also doubled down on their criticisms of ESA Commissioner Georgeina Whelan.

They passed their first no-confidence motion in Ms Whelan in November last year.

Mr Hitchenson said: "It's a dictatorship under Commissioner Whelan, and she doesn't accept feedback from the boots on the ground who actually are the subject matter experts."

ESA management is to be subject to an independent review.

The minister said he had continued to have confidence in Ms Whelan's leadership.

Ambos were unsupported in trying to change rosters, intensive care paramedic and TWU secretary Jim Arneman said.

"Nights were killing people," he said.

"We've just come up against a brick wall after brick wall.

"[JACS and the government] didn't start to engage until we actually started chalking ambulances last year."

Mr Gentleman said "the implementation of a new ambulance roster requires sufficient lead time" to prepare budgets, training and administration support.

The proposed new roster will have more coverage than the previous one, Mr Arneman said.

There will be one night shift per block, so every four days.

However, the union is still calling for the government to recruit an extra 60 paramedics in 2023 and 2024.

There are currently 174 full-time ambos in the ACT, they said.

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Staffing decisions were contingent on the upcoming ACT government budget, Mr Gentleman said.

"Since 2018, the ACT Ambulance Services (ACTAS) has recruited a total of 101 paramedics and has invested more than $50 million in funding," he said.

He said a working group would assess the staffing and budgeting needs for the new roster.

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