State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, will today use Parliament to call on the Health Minister to ensure that the Ambulance Station at Beresfield is made fit for purpose.
Ms Hornery visited the site last month after complaints were made about the condition of the Station.
The Station was built in 1971 and currently has 15 staff, 4 Ambulances but only has capacity for just one Ambulance to fit inside the building, leaving the other vehicles outside in all weather conditions, which causes consumables to perish.
Beresfield Ambulance Station is the second busiest Station in the Hunter 2 Zone and is drastically understaffed and requires another 10 full time Paramedics to ensure coverage across the region.
Ms Hornery will ask the Health Minister to ensure that the residents of Beresfield, Tarro and the surrounding suburbs have an Ambulance Station that is fit for purpose and has an appropriate number of staff to cover the region.
“The recent announcement by the Government about the additional 2000 Ambulance staff across the state was great news to the ears of local paramedics,” Ms Hornery said.
“Having recently visited the Beresfield Ambulance Station there was hope that it would receive a much needed and necessary upgrade, but after seeing the details of the Government’s plans, it seems it has been overlooked.
“Beresfield is the second busiest Station in the region and is in drastic need of additional staff and an upgrade.
“The building is more than 50 years old and is completely unsuitable for the current number of staff, and as a result, means the Station is being overlooked for additional resources which are needed for a busy station and growing region.
“The Minister needs to ensure that the Station gets an upgrade and I will be raising it in Parliament to ensure that our area is not forgotten and left behind,” said Ms Hornery.