For the last two and a half months, ADHSU delegates have been fighting to demonstrate the true value of a professional paramedic workforce to the NSW Government through the professional pay taskforce. This taskforce will soon end, after which Mr Perrottet will announce whether he will support true professional recognition for NSW paramedics.

It should be noted, if true professional recognition flows, the current clinical ceiling (high and low acuity) can be broken. We know that this will be of great benefit for the community, and if done well, will significantly reduce the need for hospital admissions.

NSW paramedics are the lowest paid, highest injured paramedics in the country.

NSW paramedics are constantly asked to do more and more without any compensation or recognition of their work value.

NSW paramedics have afforded the communities of NSW countless lifesaving and cost-saving benefits with little to nothing in return from successive governments.

It is clear that, time and time again, NSW paramedics are undervalued and underpaid by governments who care more about powerful lobby groups than the paramedics who have the responsibility of a health professional but wages of an ambulance driver.

We are only weeks away from knowing if Mr Perrottet will back his state’s paramedics. We will then know if we need to call on the public’s support in this once in a generation opportunity to professionalise paramedic pay.