The deadline was set at rally outside Parliament yesterday, attended by more than 200 officers including 80 from the Hunter.

They protested against staff shortages and the State Government's failure in a recent review to tackle management problems.

Paramedics were giving all ambulance patients free transport from yesterday a move expected to cost the Government millions of dollars.

Union organiser Peter Rumball said Hunter staff numbers had not increased since 1998 and officers were being pushed to the point of exhaustion.

He said 78 more ambulance officers and 12 to 16 patient transport officers were needed.

The rally coincided with a parliamentary inquiry into the NSW Ambulance service, which was continuing inside parliament house yesterday.

The NSW Health Services union wants management to respond to problems, such as bullying and single-officer crews, raised in the inquiry.

In particular, they want the head of the service to be a uniformed officer.

The union also asked for better conditions, including proper relief staff for officers to take leave entitlements, and more training for managers.

"In the meantime, ambulance officers are continuing to do their job and put on a brave face for their patients when behind the scenes they've hit rock bottom," Mr Rumball said.

"That facade is going to crack and we don't want that to happen."

A spokeswoman for NSW Minister for Health Reba Meagher said claims that there had been no recent staff increases were wrong and an extra 250 paramedics would be recruited under measures announced in this year's budget.

"A number of claims raised today are already under consideration by the Industrial Relations Commission in the major wage case which is under way for ambulance paramedics," the spokeswoman said.