INDEPENDANT MP for Lake Macquarie Greg Piper is being hailed as the best hope of resolving the growing ambulance crisis which health union observers and ambulance frontline staff claim is the result of Morisset Ambulance Station now being under the control of metropolitan Sydney.
A public meeting has been organised for Tuesday evening (February 7) to table annecdotal evidence from anybody who has been subject to difficulties when needing an ambulance.
Sub branch president of the Health Services Union East, Peter Rumball, said the NSW Ambulance service is in "political denial" about the frequency and dangers of single crew staffing levels and that the O'Farrell government has stepped away from the issues.
"Health Minister Jillian Skinner was only too keen to blast the poor staff levels of the ambulance service while she was in opposition government but now she is the minister she doesn't even talk to us," Mr Rumball said.
"The former government was bad but if anything, this government is worse. Thank heavens we've got Greg Piper at least he has some integrity and it remains unchanged whichever government is in power. He's our best hope."
Mr Rumball said staff had been collecting and keeping timeline diary notes.
"It is evidence available on demand. Ambos aren't allowed to talk to the media about anything to do with the ambulance service because they are intimidated by ambulance service regulations and have been warned they will face a serious breach of the code of conduct charge if they do. They are gagged," Mr Rumball said.
"I've been charged with breaching the code on several occasions and my family has even been threatened by it but at least I have the justification of my role in the union and a family that is supportive of the need for truth," he said.
"I am concerned that Morisset is a fast growing area with young families and a markedly above average population of aged people."
Following a rally at Morisset Ambulance Station in October, residents wrote to Minister Skinner to express their concerns.
Bonnells Bay Progress Association president, Col Roach said the government took the easy way out.
"The minister chose to hand the responsibility for a response to the NSW Ambulance Service which in turn sent a genereric letter to those people basically saying there is no problem despite the fact we have very real evidence that there is," Mr Roach said.
"The Ambulance Service management says single crew staffing may occasionsally happen if a staff member calls in sick at the last minute but we have around 80 diarised instances of single crew operation.
"We won't be giving them to Health Minister Jillian Skinner or to the NSW Ambulance Service, our best bet is to give them to Greg Piper to produce in Parliament," Mr Roach said.
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