Burnout, other pressures lead to high turnover for paramedics in Sudbury

Half of primary care paramedics in Sudbury have less than five years of experience and 20 per cent have one year or less, a new report has found, as high attrition rates continue to plague the system. (File)

Half of primary care paramedics in Sudbury have less than five years of experience and 20 per cent have one year or less, a new report has found, as high attrition rates continue to plague the system.

Staffing challenges are even worse for advanced care paramedics, where, despite heavy recruitment efforts, their numbers have dropped from 64 in 2024 to 57 in 2025, “representing the largest single-year net loss during the period reviewed.”

Departures of advanced care paramedics (ACP) have outpaced new hires since 2020, the report said.

More departures than new hires

“This imbalance has created operational pressures, including challenges in maintaining emergency response coverage, ensuring timely ACP response to critical calls, accommodating time-off requests, and managing increased overtime,” the report said.

“The growing reliance on a smaller cohort of ACPs has contributed to increased burnout and declining morale, further influencing decisions to seek employment elsewhere.”

Most of the ACPs that have left Sudbury recently took new jobs with Ornge, the report said, where pay levels are higher.

“Ornge has recently expanded its Sudbury base, increasing local employment opportunities,” the report said.

“Others have moved to other ACP services with lower call volumes and reduced operational intensity. These departure patterns show that compensation, workload, and service intensity are increasingly influential factors affecting ACP retention.”

A standing committee has been created to focus on paramedic retention issues, which has produced a comprehensive shift scheduling manual and paramedic staff website to address longstanding concerns and sources of frustration.

Higher pay, benefits down south

Other steps include a tuition reimbursement program, the creation of a permanent wellness coordinator and a new ACP program at College Boreal.

Working against these efforts are pay and benefit hikes down south.

“In parallel, a new and emerging trend is being observed in parts of southern Ontario, where some paramedic services have implemented significant wage increases to better align paramedic compensation with other emergency services, such as fire and police,” the report said.

“These adjustments have intensified competition for experienced paramedics and may further affect recruitment and retention pressures if disparities continue to widen.”

And with so many new people on staff, the pressure on experienced staff increases.

Violence against paramedics

“Burnout and cumulative fatigue risks also persist, particularly in a workforce with a growing proportion of newer staff,” the report said.

“Operating conditions in high-complexity environments -- including increased homelessness, substance use, and incidents of violence against paramedics -- add further strain.”

The lack of supervisors on the frontline is another growing issue, with the supervisor-to-staff ratios approaching 50:1 at times.

The shortage is “creating challenges in operational oversight, staff support, mentorship for newer paramedics and effective management of complex calls,” the report said.

“This issue is increasingly linked to both workforce sustainability and service quality and warrants further examination and future service enhancements to improve supervisor-to-staff ratios.”

The report will be reviewed by Sudbury’s community and emergency services committee on June 15.

Read the full report here.