LEETON shire is being left without ambulance trucks in town while paramedics are having to complete transfers of patients from the town's hospital to others in the region.
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The town's paramedics are increasingly having to transfer patients from Leeton hospital to other facilities in Griffith and Wagga, particularly when there is no on-call doctor available for the hospital.
Patients requiring treatment that can't be given in Leeton are needing to be transported elsewhere to receive the appropriate care, but it is taking paramedics out of town - sometimes for up to hours at a time.
This can then lead to them being placed on fatigue watch when they arrive back in town, meaning they are only available for emergency calls.
When these vehicles are out of town, it also places pressure on resources in surrounding towns to help cover Leeton.
The Australian Paramedics Association (APA) has been made aware of the issue.
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APA industrial officer Bree Jacobs said while the transfers were more often than not essential, it was an issue having paramedics on the road all of the time and out of the area.
Having an on-call doctor at the hospital at all times would likely help alleviate the situation.
"We support our staff 100 per cent and have been made aware of these issues in Leeton," Ms Jacobs said.
"It is concerning for several different reasons."
There were also reports on August 24 there was just one available ambulance truck to cover Leeton and Griffith as staff had already worked their shifts and were on fatigue watch.
This is something the Ambulance NSW has denied.
"NSW Ambulance had an appropriate double crew rostered on for Leeton and Griffith on Saturday, August 24," an Ambulance NSW spokesman said.
"The closest available ambulance crew is tasked to all cases regardless of their starting station.
"NSW Ambulance works with Murrumbidgee Local Health District to ensure only those patients that require advanced care are transferred via ambulance."
In good news, the organisation has confirmed the Leeton and Griffith stations will receive additional staff as part of a statewide deployment of 221 paramedics and call centre staff announced by the NSW government.
However, a time frame for these new staff members has not been outlined.
