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Dominic Perrottet denies he called health minister to get faster ambulance response for his sick wife Dominic Perrottet denies he called health minister to get faster ambulance response for his sick wife
(about 3 hours later)
NSW premier says he wasn’t looking for special treatment and doesn’t know if the commissioner personally ordered an ambulance NSW premier says the ambulance commissioner arranged an ambulance on his behalf but it was categorised as low-priority
Premier Dominic Perrottet has denied he called health minister Brad Hazzard in order to receive a faster ambulance response for his sick wife.Premier Dominic Perrottet has denied he called health minister Brad Hazzard in order to receive a faster ambulance response for his sick wife.
Perrottet was grilled on Sky News over a call he made to Hazzard, who was with Ambulance Commissioner Dr Dominic Morgan which resulted in an ambulance being sent to his house. Perrottet was grilled in the Riverstone electorate on Wednesday morning over a call he made to Hazzard, who was with Ambulance Commissioner Dr Dominic Morgan and which resulted in an ambulance being sent to his house. The story was first reported by Sky News on Tuesday.
Perrottet said he wasn’t looking for special treatment and doesn’t know if the commissioner personally ordered an ambulance for his wife in order to avoid prolonged wait times. It comes as the NSW Paramedics Association promised industrial action after sounding the alarm this week on issues they say are affecting ambulance services.
“My wife was sick at the time and was paralysed in bed and I actually spoke to Brad Hazzard in relation to that matter and an ambulance was organised in the ordinary course,” Perrottet said. Perrottet said he called Hazzard prior to calling a doctor to seek advice on what level of healthcare he needed for his wife Helen’s condition, who was “paralysed in bed and in tears” after returning home from the gym.
The premier said he was on his way back from an event at the time when he made the call to Hazzard. Perrottet said the ambulance commissioner arranged an ambulance on his behalf after he was advised in the phone call that one should be called. Perrottet said Morgan categorised the ambulance as a low-priority and he estimated it arrived at his home between 40 to 50 minutes later.
“I spoke to Brad to get his advice in relation to the situation. Brad was actually randomly enough with the head of ambulance at that time,” he said. Perrottet told reporters his wife’s sister had personally called an ambulance to his home at approximately the same time Morgan arranged an ambulance on Perrottet’s behalf, however, he was unaware of this at the time.
Asked why he would call the health minister for advice about his sick wife instead of a doctor, Perrottet replied he is “very close” with Hazzard. Asked what happened to the ambulance his sister-in-law requested, Perrottet said he did not know.
“I often speak to Brad on a whole range of issues relating to matters such as that,” he said. Perrottet denied he was looking for special treatment in order to avoid prolonged wait times, claiming he called Hazzard for advice and was unaware Hazzard was with Morgan at the time.
“I certainly didn’t ask for any favours.”
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The NSW Paramedics Association sounded the alarm this week on issues they say are effecting ambulance services by promising industrial action. “Brad is a friend and somebody who has been around health for many, many years,” he said. “The conversation that I had [with Brad Hazzard] was I wasn’t sure, because I was arranging a physio at the time, whether that was the right approach or whether she should see a GP or whether she should go to hospital.”
As well as better pay, the union is calling for more specialist paramedics and patient transport officers, triaging reform, and huge funding boosts for regional health and community healthcare. “My only concern at the time was for my wife and the immense pain that she was in.”
Asked if Perrottet thought he had received preferential treatment as a result of the ambulance commissioner arranging the ambulance, he said no, reiterating the fact the ambulance was categorised as a low priority.
The premier said he was on his way back from an event at the time he made the call to Hazzard.
The NSW Paramedics Association is calling for better pay, more specialist paramedics and patient transport officers, triaging reform, and huge funding boosts for regional health and community healthcare.
The union had previously criticised the Perrottet government for not supporting the recommendation from the Regional Health Inquiry to introduce more specialist paramedics in the regions.