ACTAS Workforce Strategy 2026-2029

Thursday, 9 April 2026

ACTAS Workforce Strategy 2026 - 2029

The ACT Ambulance Service (ACTAS) Workforce Strategy 2026–2029 establishes a comprehensive, evidence-based framework to ensure ACTAS maintains a sustainable, capable and resilient workforce into the future. The Strategy responds directly to the findings of the 2025 ACTAS Roster Review Report and the 2025 Internal Audit of ACT Ambulance Service Workforce Management Report. These reviews highlighted the need for a coordinated workforce strategy to sustainably meet growing community demand, support an effective workforce and strengthen workforce management and governance practices.

This Strategy sets out a structured, three-year framework informed by the ESA Strategic Plan 2024-2027, ACTAS Business Plan 2025-2026 and ACTAS Chief Officer Priorities. It provides a clear roadmap that identifies strategic priorities and establishes the foundation for strengthening short, medium and long term workforce planning, with dedicated action plan phases to follow. The three key strategic priorities are Roster Sustainability; Leave, Governance and Wellbeing; and Recruitment, Education and Retention.

At its core, the Strategy is about people. Its aim is to attract and retain a skilled and committed workforce, ensure the wellbeing and safety of all ACTAS staff continues to be front of mind, and to create an environment where our people are valued, supported and able to deliver their best.

In developing this Strategy, ACTAS has considered the broader operating context and external influences, including safety and accreditation standards. These factors reinforce the importance of maintaining a highly skilled, experienced and adaptable workforce capable of continuing to deliver quality leading care for the ACT community. This Strategy is designed to evolve through ongoing consultation with key partners. Insights gathered through this process will guide the development of targeted Action Plans to ensure ACTAS has the right people in the right place at the right time.

ACT Ambulance Service Roster Review

Monday, 17 November 2025

ACT Ambulance Roster Review

The ACT Ambulance Service (ACTAS) has released a review of the first 12 months of a new emergency operations roster.

The review provides insights into performance, challenges, and opportunities for improvement as ACTAS continues to enhance service delivery.

How the review was conducted

This review assessed the implementation and impact of the new rostering model through operational data, staff feedback and system level analysis.

Key findings

• The roster supports strong staff fatigue management principles and remains a credible model, but its effectiveness has been constrained by wider pressures across the service and sector.
• These pressures include persistent workforce shortages, under-resourced enabling functions and rising demand.
• With last year ACTAS receiving a record number of 000 calls, this review showed that ACTAS, similar to ambulance services nationally, is operating under sustained pressure due to growing community demand and a rise in low-acuity cases.
• These pressures are having an impact on ACTAS staff and are therefore driving late finishes, impacting response performance and eroding the resilience of the service.
• This report does not diminish the dedication or capability of ACTAS staff, it highlights the pressures they face and the opportunities to better support them.

Recommendations
The roster review outlines 13 recommendations, they are listed below.

1. Increase frontline staffing to an agreed funding level to meet roster requirements and restore service resilience.
2. Establish a clear methodology to monitor service health and inform an appropriate relief ratio.
3. Develop and resource a sustainable recruitment and retention strategy.
4. Monitor workforce trends and attrition data in real time to identify emerging risks and adapt strategies quickly.
5. Support critical capabilities and resolve organisational inefficiencies and inconsistent practices.
6. Strengthen leave management governance to ensure fair and consistent processes while addressing rising liabilities.
7. Establish leave utilisation performance targets.
8. Strengthen governance and evaluation of professional development time to maximise its benefit.
9. Strengthen data systems and enable integrated reporting.
10. Improve consistency and governance of workforce and operational data.
11. Strengthen and expand secondary triage and referral pathways for low-acuity demand.
12. Strengthen governance and change management capability.
13. Strengthen leadership and capability to support change initiatives.

What’s next?

The ACT Emergency Services Agency will engage with staff, the TWU and government stakeholders to thoroughly consider the reports recommendations and develop an action plan.