The Ambulance Service has admitted culpability after two elderly Dungog women suffered long waits for treatment.
One of them, who suffers from heart trouble, was forced to wait 36 minutes for an Ambulance crew to arrive from Stroud so an off-duty officer didn't have to be called in.
The Health Services Union says the state government's attempts to save money on overtime costs is putting lives at risk and there's an urgent need to employ more paramedics.
Health Minister Jillian Skinner has been reported as saying some paramedics are pocketing $100,000 dollars a year in overtime payments.
