By Ruth Hill of RNZ
Hato Hone St John Ambulance is pulling some ambulances off the road to rein in costs when staff go on leave or call in sick.
In a bulletin, management advised staff the service needed to “actively manage recalls” of back-up staff in order to curb expenditure.
In response, the Ambulance Association said the “unacceptable” cost-cutting was putting lives at risk.
National secretary Mark Quin said he had already been contacted by worried paramedics in Taranaki and Southland saying ambulances had to be parked up over the weekend because they could not be staffed.