The $1.76 billion Strategic Workforce Infrastructure Team (SWIFT) program is boosting and transforming emergency and mobile healthcare for our metropolitan and regional communities.
Launched in 2022, SWIFT is delivering:
- 2,500 additional NSW Ambulance staff, including 500 paramedics for rural and regional areas
- 30 new ambulance stations
- additional emergency vehicles
- a permanent and expanded Virtual Clinical Care Centre (VCCC)
- the Control Centre Reform Program
- the Frontline Leadership Model (FLM).
Workforce growth
We are adding 2500 staff to our workforce to:
- optimise emergency response times for the community
- strengthen career pathways for our clinicians
- enhance wellbeing and safety for our people
500 paramedics for rural and regional areas
500 paramedics for rural and regional areas are part of the 2500 additional staff.
New ambulance stations
Health Infrastructure, in partnership with NSW Ambulance, is delivering 30 new stations to provide local paramedics with modern, fit-for-purpose infrastructure and optimise response times for communities across NSW.
The following locations for new stations have been announced to date:
- Aerotropolis (Badgerys Creek)
- Bargo
- Berkeley Vale
- Berowra
- Branxton
- Carlingford
- Caves Beach
- Cherrybrook
- Colo Vale
- Cremorne
- Dee Why
- East Maitland
- Edgeworth
- Gateshead
- Glendenning
- Glenmore Park
- Kincumber
- Lisarow
- Macquarie Park
- Moss Vale
- North Sydney
- Oran Park
- Prairiewood
- Prestons
- Raby
- South Windsor
- Sutherland
- Unanderra
- Warilla.
For more information about these projects, visit the Health Infrastructure website.
Virtual clinical care
We are permanently establishing and expanding our VCCC to boost our capacity to ensure Triple Zero (000) patients across NSW receive the care they need - which isn’t always in a hospital emergency department.
Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the VCCC is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of experienced registered health professionals, who provide secondary triage for Triple Zero (000) calls categorised as not life-threatening and not an emergency.
An experienced VCCC clinician may provide a call back to undertake a thorough clinical assessment to better understand a patient’s clinical needs and ensure they are connected with the most appropriate care for their condition. The clinician may recommend referral to another health service, for example, an urgent care centre, virtual medical service, their GP, or a local pharmacy. Sometimes, patients may be provided with advice to safely manage their condition at home, or the incident will be sent to a NSW Ambulance Control Centre for dispatch of an ambulance.
Through this service, the VCCC is reducing demand for our paramedics, Control Centre staff and hospital emergency departments, saving emergency care for those patients who need it most. This also works to improve the outcomes and experience of care for our patients, helping them receive care within their own home or communities wherever possible, and avoiding unnecessary travel or hospital visits.
Control Centre reform
The Control Centre Reform Program is making sure our processes, systems and technologies are contemporary, fit-for-purpose and scalable to meet projected escalating demand for emergency and out of hospital health services.
The program is essential to our ongoing commitment to prioritise the safety of the community and our staff, while also optimising emergency response times and strengthening career pathways within the Control Centre
Frontline leadership
Our frontline leaders play a vital role driving clinical excellence, supporting staff and leading our emergency and out of hospital health care operations every day.
The FLM is designed to significantly increase the number of frontline clinical and other leaders to ensure our staff have the support they need to undertake their roles to deliver excellence in care for the community.