A unified remuneration system has been introduced for the employees of the emergency medical service
The merger of the country's ambulance stations into the Ambulance Service aims to ensure equal working conditions for its staff. A single pay policy has been applied since the beginning of this year.
According to Health Minister Arūnas Dulkys, GMP staff have already received their first salaries under the new system, following the introduction of the unified remuneration system. "The Ambulance Service was first and foremost created with the aim of improving the speed and quality of GMP services. During the creation of the service, it became clear that the remuneration paid to staff at GMP stations taken over from municipalities varied by up to two times, with part of the funds being used to meet the needs of other medical institutions. It is impossible to build a strong organisation without a sense of fairness among staff. This injustice has been corrected - although it was predicted to take about two years, a unified remuneration system has been put in place in just six months. Now, regardless of where they work, GMP staff are paid the same across the country for the same tasks. I believe that this will strengthen the GMP service and make it one of the most attractive employers in Lithuania," said the Minister.
The Director General of GMP, Nerijus Mikelionis, has no doubt that a transparent and fair payroll will not only help to motivate existing staff, but also attract new ones. This year, the Authority's wage bill will reach €90 million.
"The quality of GMP's work depends directly on the motivation and professionalism of its staff, which is why we pay special attention to this. We have created a modern and unified remuneration system, we are creating conditions for staff to improve their qualifications, we are preparing to renew our fleet of cars, we are renovating and increasing the number of substations - all these changes are already underway and we expect to see the results of our work improving soon", says N. Mikelionis, Head of the GMP Service.
The unified national GMP Service was established on 1 July 2023 by merging the 16 previously independently functioning GMP stations, 30 Primary Health Care Centre units and 2 private GMP facilities. During the first half of the year, the Service implemented a European Union-funded project "Preparing for the implementation of the new model of ambulance services", which analysed the work of the Service and strengthened its efficiency, and provided training to 2380 staff.
Since the middle of last year, five new substations have been installed in Vievy, Venta, Ramygala, Birštonas and Ariogala, and five more will soon be built in Šaukėnai, Merkinė, Skaudvīle, Simne and Neringa.
By 2027, the GMP service will receive €50 million of investment from the European Union. Most of the money will be spent on the renewal of the fleet of vehicles, while the rest will be spent on the renewal of the infrastructure and the premises of the substations, digitalisation, and the training of GMP specialists.
Last updated: 15-07-2024
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