As paramedics end five days of industrial action, the NSW Ambulance boss is optimistic this month's budget will bring the resources for a much-needed boost to staff numbers.
Commissioner Dominic Morgan says the service is under unrelenting pressure, with an additional 500 triple-zero calls a day since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This isn't just a thing that a pandemic is going to come and then everything's going to go back to normal," he told Sydney radio 2GB on Thursday.
Dr Morgan has been lobbying the government in the lead up to the June 21 budget, calling on them to provide the resources required to meet increased demand, as paramedics report long response times and ramping at hospitals.
Dr Morgan said the government had already provided funding for 360 additional paramedics but more were required.
"So we are really optimistic as we go into the budget time that they will look at the science we have presented and help our paramedics do their job," he said.
"A handful of paramedics will make a difference but a lot of paramedics will make a lot of difference," he said.
When asked if he expected funding for an additional 1000 paramedics he replied: "You're not far off the mark".
He is confident he can easily recruit sufficient staff, as the service receives between 900 to 1200 applications for paramedic positions every year.
"If the government was able to invest in us we can find the qualified paramedics to put on the road," he said.
NSW paramedics ended a five-day industrial campaign on Wednesday over staffing and wages.
The industrial action, launched by the Australian Paramedics Association NSW, meant paramedics refused to take patients' billing details, report key performance indicators or leave home stations.
Nine out of 10 paramedics believe patients are dying due to under-resourcing, according to a survey from APA NSW.
