Second ambulance delay death deepens Tasmania's health 'crisis', Labor and Greens say

Man dies on west coast after 78-minute wait; opposition parties call for halt to budget cuts and an inquiry

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published26 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Illustration: Second ambulance delay death deepens Tasmania's health 'crisis', Labor and Greens say

Tasmania's opposition parties say the state's health system is in crisis after a second patient died this month following a delayed ambulance response. A man in Zeehan on the west coast died on Saturday after waiting 78 minutes for a crew, and a Hobart man died about two weeks earlier after two Triple Zero calls were met with no available ambulance. Both deaths are under investigation by the Health Department.

Tasmania's Labor and Greens have declared the health system in "crisis" after the second death this month of a patient whose ambulance was delayed.

On Saturday, a man in the west coast town of Zeehan called Triple Zero complaining of chest pain and breathing difficulties. The call was categorised as a "priority 1" case requiring immediate assistance, but the local ambulance station was not staffed because of unfilled leave. Paramedics in nearby Queenstown and Strahan were already attending other cases, so a Burnie crew was assigned. It arrived 78 minutes later, but the man had died.

About two weeks earlier, a Hobart family made two calls to Triple Zero over 25 minutes. The first was triaged as non-urgent, but the man's condition deteriorated. By the second call the case was escalated to priority 1, yet it took a further 25 minutes to dispatch an ambulance because none were available. According to a union, paramedics were either responding to other cases or were ramped at the Royal Hobart Hospital because the emergency department was at capacity. The family drove the man to hospital, but he went into cardiac arrest and later died.

Both deaths are being investigated by the Health Department to identify any immediate improvements.

"The Tasmanian health system is no longer at breaking point, it's broken," Greens health spokesperson Cecily Rosol said. "Medical professionals have been warning for far too long that Tasmanians would lose their lives because of the worsening state of the health system."

Ambulance Tasmania operates 51 stations, some staffed entirely by paramedics and others relying partly or fully on volunteers. The Zeehan station, unstaffed on Saturday, normally has a single paramedic rostered on day shift and on call out-of-hours with volunteer support. The Health Department said attempts were made to backfill the vacant shift, including overtime and volunteers, and that recruitment to the region was challenged by its remoteness.

During a budget estimates hearing in June, Health Department secretary Dale Webster told the Greens that about 11 per cent of paramedic shifts had been unfilled since July last year.

Labor and the Greens have urged the government not to proceed with plans to find $700 million in savings from the health budget. "Our health system is in crisis," Labor leader Josh Willie said. "It cannot withstand further cuts. Things will only get worse." He said the government needed to ensure enough staff in regional areas, noting that paramedics were unavailable when emergencies struck.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the investigations would "identify any issues that need to be addressed" and that all health professionals "do their very best to respond to the needs and care of Tasmanians". He pointed to the government's transfer of care policy, which he said had cut the time ambulances spend stuck at hospitals by 30,000 hours, and said the government was open to further changes.

The Australian Medical Association last week called for an independent commission of inquiry into what it described as a "perpetual crisis". Health Minister Bridget Archer dismissed the call, saying it would cost more than $30 million and not help patients.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

Two patient deaths in a month from delayed ambulance responses raise immediate questions about patient safety and the adequacy of emergency coverage, especially in regional Tasmania.
The deaths have reignited a political fight over $700 million in proposed health budget savings, with opposition parties warning further cuts will worsen outcomes.
The Health Department's investigations may lead to operational changes, but the deeper issue of paramedic shortages and hospital capacity remains unresolved.

Background

Tasmania has faced long-running concerns about emergency department pressure and ambulance availability. The state operates a mix of professional and volunteer-staffed stations, and remote areas like the west coast have struggled to recruit and retain paramedics. The government's transfer of care policy is designed to reduce the time ambulances wait at hospitals, but opposition parties and medical groups argue the system remains overstretched.

Key Perspectives

Greens health spokesperson Cecily Rosol: Says the health system is "broken" and that medical professionals warned the government with solutions, but it "failed to act."
Labor leader Josh Willie: Says the system is "in crisis" and cannot withstand further budget cuts, and that Tasmanians would be concerned about what might happen if staffing is not addressed.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff: Says investigations will identify issues to address, notes the transfer of care policy has already saved 30,000 hours of ambulance time, and says the government is open to further improvements.
Australian Medical Association: Called for an independent commission of inquiry into a "perpetual crisis."
Health Minister Bridget Archer: Dismissed the inquiry call as costing more than $30 million without helping patients.

What to Watch

The Health Department's investigations into the two deaths and any immediate recommendations they produce.
Whether the government proceeds with the $700 million in health budget savings, and how the opposition responds.
Further action on recruiting paramedics to remote areas like the west coast, and whether more staff can be attracted.

Sources

Second death increases call for action on health system in 'crisis' · ABC News

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedThe second ambulance-delay death deepened Tasmania’s health crisis.Just In: “Tasmania's health system is in "crisis" after the second death of a patient involving a delayed ambulance this month, Labor and the Greens say.”
Not in the sourcesThe opposition parties called for an inquiry.Just In: “The Australian Medical Association last week called for an independent commission of inquiry to find holistic solutions to what it described as a "perpetual crisis".”
Partly supportedThe Hobart man went into cardiac arrest after his family drove him to hospital.Just In: “The man's family ended up driving him to the hospital, but by the time they got there, he was in cardiac arrest and later died.”
SupportedGreens health spokesperson Cecily Rosol said, “The Tasmanian health system is no longer at breaking point, it's broken.”Just In: “"The Tasmanian health system is no longer at breaking point, it's broken," Greens health spokesperson Cecily Rosol said in a statement.”
SupportedLabor and the Greens said Tasmania’s health system was in crisis after the second death this month involving a delayed ambulance.Just In: “Tasmania's health system is in "crisis" after the second death of a patient involving a delayed ambulance this month, Labor and the Greens say.”
SupportedThe Zeehan man died after a 78-minute wait for an ambulance crew.Just In: “A Burnie crew was then assigned, but by the time it arrived 78 minutes later, the man had died.”
SupportedThe summary says opposition parties called for a halt to budget cuts.Just In: “The Greens and Labor have urged the government not to proceed with plans to find $700 million worth of savings in the health budget.”
SupportedThe Hobart family made two Triple Zero calls over 25 minutes, and dispatch took a further 25 minutes after the second call.Just In: “a Hobart family made two calls to Triple Zero (000) over the space of 25 minutes. ... it took a further 25 minutes to dispatch an ambulance because none were available.”
SupportedThe Health Department is investigating both deaths to identify possible immediate improvements.Just In: “Both deaths are being investigated by the Health Department to identify any immediate improvements that can be made.”
SupportedDale Webster told the Greens that about 11 per cent of paramedic shifts had been unfilled since July last year.Just In: “Health Department secretary Dale Webster told the Greens about 11 per cent of paramedic shifts had been unfilled since July last year.”
SupportedPremier Jeremy Rockliff said the transfer-of-care policy had cut the time ambulances spend stuck at hospitals by 30,000 hours.Just In: “Mr Rockliff noted the government’s transfer of care policy had reduced the amount of time ambulances are stuck at hospitals by 30,000 hours since it started.”
SupportedHealth Minister Bridget Archer said an independent inquiry would cost more than $30 million and would not help patients.Just In: “The call was dismissed by Health Minister Bridget Archer, who said it would cost more than $30 million and not help any patients.”