Ambulance Union caught 'faking overcrowding in hospitals'
The ambulance workers' union has denied accusations by the Victorian government that members faked photos showing an overcrowded emergency department to gain publicity in its bitter pay dispute.
The images, both stills and video footage, were circulated in early July and published alongside stories about hospital overcrowding and ambulance ramping.
The government on Thursday released CCTV footage from Frankston Hospital which showed people in the ambulance union's "Code Red" industrial campaign t-shirts moving patients around the emergency department before recording images.
Health Minister David Davis slammed the footage, saying a small group of "hardline unionists" had been prepared to mistreat patients to further their own agenda and in doing so, mislead members of the public.
"Instead of looking after patients, they were more interested in looking after themselves," Mr Davis said.
"This group sought to hoodwink the community by abusing the trust of vulnerable people.
"Patients in my view should not be used as political pawns, nor part of the union's campaign."
But the Ambulance Employees Association defended its members, saying there was no need to set up photos due to the high rate of ramping in hospitals across the state.
"Moving beds around when you have ramping at a hospital is not unusual because you've got to get the next patient in," union secretary Steve McGhie said.
He said there was no question a photo was taken, but the matter was under investigation by Ambulance Victoria and it was unfair of the government to speak out while that was ongoing.
"People were asked whether the photo was set up and every paramedic that was asked as part of the investigation denied it," Mr McGhie said.
Ambulance Victoria and the paramedics union have been locked in wage negotiations for more than a year.
Mr Davis said the footage called into question other claims made by the ambulance union and there was evidence that similar incidents had occurred elsewhere.
Ambulance Victoria action regional manager Andrew Watson said they were aware of the footage.
"We are treating the matter as serious and currently conducting an investigation," Mr Watson said.
