EMS paramedics claimed millions in overtime in 2016: Alberta Liberals

The Alberta Liberal Party is shedding more light on what it calls “wasteful mismanagement” in Alberta EMS, this time regarding the amount of overtime paramedics work.

The numbers came from a freedom of information request by the Liberals, who along with the union representing Alberta’s paramedics, have been raising red flags since Calgary Zone EMS called a code red last week during a winter storm.

For about 25 minutes on Thursday, March 15, no ambulances were available to attend to calls due to a spike in calls for service.

A day later, the president of Health Sciences Association of Alberta, which represents 3,400 paramedics, called that shortage a “medical crisis.”

READ MORE: Calgary’s ‘red alert’ points to ‘medical crisis’ in Alberta: paramedic union president

On Wednesday, Liberal MLA Dr. David Swann said both Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the NDP government need to hire more paramedics to reduce the amount of overtime being paid out.

“A FOIP obtained by the Alberta Liberals shows that Alberta’s paramedics worked 135,000 hours of overtime in 2016,” Swann said in a statement.

“That equates to almost $10 million in extra wage costs.”

AHS said in an email on Wednesday that EMS uses overtime as a “last resort.”

“Sudden and unexpected circumstances sometimes require paying staff overtime to ensure patients get the high-quality care they need when and where they need it,” AHS said.

AHS said it’s difficult to determine when a spike in calls might happen, meaning sometimes overtime is necessary to ensure there are no negative impacts to patient care.

READ MORE: Former Alberta paramedic says rural patients being left without ambulances

“Overtime is also required to support unexpected large-scale emergencies including the Fort McMurray fires that occurred in the spring of 2016,” AHS said. It added that sometimes overtime is needed for staff to participate in mandatory training.

“It’s impossible to predict when emergencies happen. As a result, AHS EMS staff may be asked to respond to emergencies just as their shifts are about to end.”

In addition to the numbers on overtime, Swann also said the data shows paramedics spend as much as an hour waiting to transfer patients to ER staff when they arrive in hospital.

When asked about hospital wait times, AHS said it’s continuing to work with emergency departments to reduce that waiting period, adding “it’s important to note that while paramedics are waiting in hospital, they are providing care to their patients until they can be transferred to the care of the emergency department.”