More than 10,000 triple-zero calls were made for an ambulance in Newcastle in each of the last three quarters, the highest results on record.
The data showed the calls numbered 10,377 (April to June), 10,550 (January to March) and 10,332 (October to December 2023).
The Bureau of Health Information data, to be officially released on Wednesday, also showed longer ambulance response times in Newcastle.
Only 50 per cent of ambulances met the benchmark for "P1 within 15 minutes", which refers to paramedics responding to potentially life-threatening cases within that timeframe.
This was a 6 per cent fall compared to the same quarter last year.
Australian Paramedics Association NSW secretary Brendan McIlveen said there had been cases of patients having to "get themselves to hospital".
"Ultimately we don't have enough paramedics in the greater Newcastle area," said Mr McIlveen, of Hamilton Ambulance Station.
A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said a median response time of eight minutes was achieved in Hunter New England for "the priority 1A category".
This category referred to "life-threatening emergency responses under light and sirens".
"This result is within the 10-minute benchmark," the spokesperson said.
The Newcastle Herald reported in June that the Hunter was due to get 50 new paramedics.
They will be based at a Sandgate industrial site because stations at Swansea and Gateshead aren't built.
"We're still waiting on Swansea/Gateshead staff to arrive in Newcastle," Mr McIlveen said.
"They're still not guaranteeing a start date, the station is ready to go, the fleet's in place. We needed them to start back in July when they were promised."
The NSW Ambulance spokesperson said "64 additional paramedics have joined the Hunter New England area over the past couple of years".
Mr McIlveen believed the high number of triple-zero calls were because "many people don't have access to a regular GP".
"Much more money needs to be invested in primary health education and the importance of self-care, or referral pathways to talk to pharmacists, GPs and clinics."
However, he said the federal government's urgent care clinic at Cessnock was making a difference.
The government has also commissioned the Newcastle-Lake Macquarie Urgent Care Clinic.
These clinics may only fund one doctor, one nurse and one secretary, but they bulk-bill and run for extended hours.
Mr McIlveen said one doctor was more than some rural or regional hospitals had.
"A lot of these hospitals have a doctor on call, but a doctor may not be there all the time," he said.
Emergency departments [EDs] in Hunter New England recorded 12,215 non-urgent cases in the April-June quarter, a 12 per cent rise on the same period last year.
Hunter New England EDs also recorded 49,186 semi-urgent cases in the quarter, a 1.4 per cent rise on last year.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said EDs faced "unprecedented pressure", but he was encouraged by "alternative pathways to care outside of the hospital".
"Those with non-life-threatening conditions can access healthcare anywhere by calling HealthDirect for free on 1800 022 222," a government statement said.
"Depending on your condition, the nurse will recommend the right care option for you and connect you with one of the many services available in NSW."
The government said more than 235,000 people that HealthDirect assessed in 2023/24 "received advice or referral to a health service, avoiding a trip to the ED".
The government added that "allowing pharmacists to provide consultations for low complexity conditions" had relieved pressure on GPs.
Adamstown GP Milton Sales said "the pharmacists are now being given more tasks, taking roles away from general practice".
"Some of those more simple interactions are what pays the bills for general practice," Dr Sales said.
Whitebridge doctor Max Mollenkopf said this situation was like "the Indiana Jones moment where they're snatching the golden idol and replacing it with a bag of sand".
"At the moment, the government is effectively snatching the golden idol," Dr Mollenkopf said.
