Unions fear police and paramedic shortage due to booster messaging bungle

The police and ambulance unions fear a state government deadline for showing proof of a COVID-19 booster booking will take emergency workers off the streets.

The Department of Health yesterday extended the deadline for workers in key sectors to receive their third vaccine dose or secure a booking to do so by a month, to March 12.

But the unions say the changes weren’t communicated clearly to them.

Ambulance union boss Danny Hill says paramedics were yesterday told the deadline for getting the booster, or presenting evidence of a booking, had been extended to March 12.

“We thought ‘Fine, that’s good’,” he told Neil Mitchell.

“What they’ve since done after that meeting is introduced the requirement that they have to produce evidence of a booking by midnight tonight.

“What this creates is a massive administrative burden when it comes to rostering of staff.”

Mr Hill says staff who were able to work under the changes flagged yesterday now actually won’t be able to work from midnight tonight if they can’t secure a booking for a vaccine today.

“Give us another five days,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear why the ambulance union is confused

Police Association state secretary Wayne Gatt says “hundreds, if not thousands” of police have contracted COVID-19 in the past weeks and months, and have had to push back their boosters as a result.

“Some of these people simply won’t be able to get that booster shot in the time frames and they won’t be able to come to work with proof of a booking tonight,” he told Neil Mitchell.

“To throw that on us at the eleventh hour and not give employers a little bit of flexibility to say ‘Hey, for the first couple of days, five days, seven days, here’s an opportunity to organise yourselves’, it’s just completely ham-fisted.”

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