Ambulance Union secretary’s last fight before retirement

Long time boss of the Ambulance Union Steve McGhie is set to retire after 38 years in the ambulance service, 23 of those at the union fighting for paramedics.

In his last interview in the top job, he told Tony Jones he has one last fight he wants to win for his members.

“We’ve currently got a submission before government on what we call two-officer crew,” Steve said.

“There are still 51 rural branches out there that just respond a single paramedic and an ambulance.

“We’re really concerned about that.”

Click PLAY below for the full interview

Steve said it would require about 110 additional paramedic positions to be funded by the government.

“In a lot of situations these locations are lower workload locations and it hasn’t been a priority both for the ambulance service and government,” he said.

“For a range of reasons; the pre-hospital treatments, the fatigue issues, and also the mental health issues.

“So they can talk to each other when they come back, when there’s traumatic cases, rather than a single paramedic just look at a brick wall thinking about it.”