Paramedics' union says N.S. ambulance system is 'in failure'

The union that represents paramedics in Nova Scotia is once again pleading with the province to come to their aid.

Samantha Hamilton, the president of Local 727 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, told members of the Nova Scotia Legislature's public accounts committee Wednesday the province is at "a critical crossroads with the paramedics."

"I have never seen it like this before," said Hamilton, a paramedic with 24 years of experience. "The burnout is just beyond.

"We're getting sent all over the province now, and we go from one call, to the next call, to the next call."

She told the all-party committee there isn't even time for meals and bathroom breaks. "It's devastating to see all of my colleagues and what they're going through, and nobody wants to listen," she said.

The union's business manager, Kevin MacMullin, called it a "system in failure."

During Omicron wave of the pandemic the 1,200-strong workforce has faced major staff shortages. Dozens of crews have either been off sick or isolating as a result of being in close contact with an infected person. That has made a bad situation far worse, and has driven away experienced paramedics, according to the union.

"We're losing highly trained, highly experienced paramedics to retirement," MacMullin told the committee. "And ones behind them that come on scene are now leaving for other jurisdictions because they want to go to somewhere where the work stress is a little less for them."

The provincial government has tried in a number of ways to improve those working conditions in recent years, including:

• Beefing up patient transfer resources so paramedics can focus on emergency calls rather than simply ferrying patients to and from appointments or home.
• Creating a new Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment.
• Issuing temporary permits to newly graduated but yet-to-be licensed paramedics so they can start work sooner.
• Installing power stretchers and loaders on all ambulances.

According to Emergency Medical Care Inc., Nova Scotia's ambulance service provider, patient transfers by emergency crews have dropped by 30 percentage points since January 2021.

On any given day, 150 to 220 patients are transported between facilities for appointments or are taken to and from home. Having that work done by non-emergency response paramedics frees up those who can answer 911 calls.

The union acknowledged all those measures have helped, but called on the province to do more to increase recruitment and retention of paramedics.

"We have to have some immediate fixes now, we need them now," said MacMullin. "We need some action now."

Associate deputy minister of health Craig Beaton told CBC News following the meeting that the department has heard the complaints of paramedics and it is working on other solutions.

That sentiment was shared by Charbel Daniel, executive director of provincial operations at Emergency Medical Care Inc.

"We're thankful and proud of the team that we have that work on the front lines, and we are listening and we do hear them," said Daniel. "We know that things are tough. We know the system is strained and our number 1 objective and priority, and we are laser-focused on enhancing that work environment and providing a better work environment."

The union also suggested paramedics could receive the same 20 to 25 per cent one-time salary increase continuing care assistants received recently as a way to keep CCAs on the job and to entice others to return to work.

"That's important to them and well-deserved," said MacMullin. "A similar increase for paramedics would do a lot of alleviate staffing pressures, in turn helping to improve working conditions."

The government's response was non-committal.

"Right now we're focused on the recruiting and retention strategies, which may, not always, include compensation directly," said Beaton.