The paramedics’ union is crying out for better resourcing after a patient was forced to wait 12 hours for help.

The elderly person was suffering from a fractured hip, Australian Paramedics Association NSW vice president Scott Beaton told Jim Wilson.

He blamed the acceleration of the issue over the last six months on a “perfect storm” of lack of beds and lack of surge capacity of ambulances.

“12 hours is a completely unacceptable wait.

“The ambulance service and the Department of Health and the Health Minister need to fix the crisis.”

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Listener Sarah called in with her perspective as a nurse in a major Sydney hospital.

“It’s been well documented that patients go [to the Emergency Department] for really unnecessary things.”

Under pressure from hospital executives, staff are no longer able to properly triage the most urgent cases, she claimed.

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Image: Getty