Thursday, 2 May 2024

North-Eastern Metropolitan Region

Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:51): (836) My constituency question is for the Minister for Health, and it relates to my electorate of Ringwood and in particular the ambulance employees – those who obviously work at the Nunawading station but also the station at East Ringwood. In particular what I am keen to understand is what progress, if any, has been made on a number of fronts in respect to the working conditions of those ambulance officers. Number one, is there any progress in respect to the overlapping shifts which ambulance officers seek? This obviously is critical to ensuring that ambulance employees are not forced to do overtime, which we know has an impact on their family. Number two, what efforts have been made to ensure that ambulance officers can travel two-up – that is, two at a time, rather than by themselves? That is an important issue, particularly for female officers. I also ask whether there is any progress on flexible shifts for those who have children and particularly flexible shifts for female officers after childbirth.