Students

Meeting Chaired By
Lee Waller.

Meeting Conducted
12:30 – 13:30.

Committee Attendee’s
John Thomas, Mike Hardwick, Lee Waller, Callan McClure, Dave Higgins, Conrad Fairhead, Andrew Kerfoot, Lindsey MacDougall, Dave Bryant, Rick Candy, Chris Smith, and Aaron Pittaway.

Committee Apologies
Shane Gray, Paul Davies and Jesse George.

Previous Minutes Accepted By
This was the first meeting of the AEAWA Industrial Committee.

Meeting Agenda
This Special Meeting was scheduled due to multiple emails and calls received from student paramedics throughout Western Australia.

Students have expressed a significant desire to join the AEAWA. In essence, these students have asked if they could join, and gain access to many of the AEAWA benefits.

Various discussions took place regarding the potentiality of students joining the Association.

Can they Join they AEAWA?
In short yes, the can. At a previous AEAWA Annual General Meeting, the membership was asked if the Committee explored the option to expand into other areas, and other Ambulance Services, and students could we as a committee, get that approved. The membership voted in favor for that to occur.

What does the Association need to do to make this happen?
As the membership have voted for this expansion, the committee would need to do the following.
1. Open another bank account for membership payments to be separate from St John WA member payments.
2. Design advertising (flyers etc) to get the word out to all those working in the Industrial arena.
3. Add an area to the AEAWA database so they may join.
4. Add a Student tab to the AEAWA website.
5. Develop an student portfolio and assign that to an AEAWA Executive member. At this meeting it was voted AEA Secretary Lee Waller would be appointed into this position.
6. Advertise for office staff to assist in this extra workload.

What benefits can these members access?
Currently members within St John WA have access to the following benefits.
• ShopRite
• Professional Indemnity Insurance
• Journey Cover
• AUSMED access
• Organisational Support through [email protected]

The only identified issue was the Salary Continuance due to the fact that the AEAWA had 1,300 members under one employer (St John WA). This was the reason the costings for this benefit was able to be achieved.

It would be unlikely the AEAWA would receive these numbers from a singular organisation, to be able to supply that benefit to its Student membership. That being said, this benefit will always be reviewed at any upcoming meeting, in case circumstances change.

All other benefits, Student Members would receive, the AEAWA would just set up a different email account through the server for these members – [email protected]

Could the AEAWA take on Student Delegates from these locations?
Yes, that actually would assist greatly. Delegates are enrolled and studying at those specific colleges and universities. They understand the issues, and how things could change to make  improvements.

Any Student member will have the choice to become a delegate.

Meeting Concluded
13:30.

To read the full report please click here.

Australian Government
The Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Program Landmark Study: Insights from the Worker Survey and Interviews Report prepared for the Western Australian Government October 2023. This report will establish a baseline of current practices and experiences, through employee surveys and interviews

https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/mars-landmark-study-report-insights-the-worker-survey-and-interviews

As a medic (Not AHPRA registered) for a mining company in Western Australia.  As a part of our daily process, we drug test a percentage of workforce. This is a system generated process and is random in selection.

Medical staff have been completing a ‘Test Request Form/Chain of Custody form’ that they collect personal information such as name, date of birth and record the result of the urine test.  If this test result is negative the form is scanned or retained in paper form as well as being entered into a spreadsheet.

The issue being debated is the retention of this information. Do we need to retain the paper copies for a certain period?  I have researched WA Legislation and Regulations and found there is nothing that refers to retainment of any information for a private medical practice unlike other states/territories. So my questions are these:

1)         Is there legislation that I am missing that states we must retain this data for a certain period of time?

2)         If there is a requirement, is a randomised drug screen considered to be ‘medical’ in nature or more a health and safety process?

The company has stated that we are not required to complete the forms as they are used for non-negative testing however there are many medics who disagree and believe that we should be capturing and retaining this data.

To read the full article please click here.

Australian Emergency Law
Discussion on the law that applies to or affects Australia’s emergency services and emergency management, by Michael Eburn, PhD, Australian Lawyer.
Email: [email protected]

https://australianemergencylaw.com/

Today’s question relates to working overtime for Ambulance Victoria (AV).  The question below is heavily edited to reduce the length but get to what I understand is the gist of the issue.

My correspondent works in ambulance communication.  The comms team is turn between the need to respond ambulances and the need to assist on road paramedics to finish on time. The Ambulance Victoria Enterprise Agreement 2020 provides that crews are required to work ‘reasonable overtime’ but I’m told there is no policy directive from AV as to how this is to be managed.  I’m told that road crews are worried about their careers if they refuse overtime, and comms members are worried about their careers if they take staff ‘off line’ before the end of the shift so that they can finish on time, particularly when they have asked to finish on-time to meet family commitments.

In a nutshell, the communications group are worried about being dragged through the wringer for failing to follow the EA, the crews have had enough with the service for not following the EA and the Union is perpetually fighting the service for not following the EA.

The VAU’s recommendation is that an AV employee contacts the Regional Manager under 45.1(d) relevant manager (NOT a comms person) and requests on time to finish due to personal circumstances as early as practicable, as outlined in the above screen shot. The Regional management team have pushed back and said that this is a resourcing decision and should be left for the communications team to facilitate. It has been pushed up from every angle, H&S, Union, through the comms group, through the roadies and the response from AV is just a holding pattern of ‘awaiting legal advice’ and ‘statistics’ i.e. how would this affect the service’s ability to respond to core business

To read the full article please click here.

Australian Emergency Law
Discussion on the law that applies to or affects Australia’s emergency services and emergency management, by Michael Eburn, PhD, Australian Lawyer.
Email: [email protected]

https://australianemergencylaw.com/

Now that paramedics are a registered health profession, I’ve had the same conversation with quite a few colleagues who, like me, envision fully autonomous paramedic practitioners becoming a reality in Australia.  Those conversations usually revolve around the question ‘what next?’ in terms of expanding the capabilities of the profession.  As far as we can see there are four major legal hurdles: (1) the ability to bill directly to Medicare, (2) the ability to prescribe medications, (3) the ability to refer to medical specialists, and (4) a ‘drug license’ (for lack of a better term) that allows us to autonomously take authority for medications, i.e. paramedics taking ketamine out of a pharmacy under their own authority for their medical kit in a trekking expedition they’ve been hired to take care of.  I recognise that some paramedics in some parts of the country can do some of these things, but I don’t believe there are paramedics anywhere in Australia that can do them all.

To read the full article please click here.

Australian Emergency Law
Discussion on the law that applies to or affects Australia’s emergency services and emergency management, by Michael Eburn, PhD, Australian Lawyer.
Email: [email protected]

https://australianemergencylaw.com/

Currently working on a film set with another individual who has been representing themselves as a paramedic – both through being paid to be one and wearing clothing with the title paramedic displayed. I had known of this individual previously through others as a Paramedic working for many years prior to registration. This person at time of writing however is not registered and I have good authority to believe he has not lodged in accordance with the provisions contained within the Act.

There have been a number of occasions at which I have been concerned about the fact that this individual is a.) holding themselves out to be a paramedic and b.) providing treatment that would fall reasonably within a paramedic’s scope of practice but superior to that of a First Aider.

To read the full article please click here.

Australian Emergency Law
Discussion on the law that applies to or affects Australia’s emergency services and emergency management, by Michael Eburn, PhD, Australian Lawyer.
Email: [email protected]

https://australianemergencylaw.com/

At a point of my life where, due to illness, I could die anytime, anywhere. I do not want to get resuscitated and plan to put a DNR order in place. My question is, how would anyone know about this order if they find me laying somewhere? how would the ambulance know? would they not start resuscitation before trying to find out who I am and if I may have such an order in place?

To read the full article please click here.

Australian Emergency Law
Discussion on the law that applies to or affects Australia’s emergency services and emergency management, by Michael Eburn, PhD, Australian Lawyer.
Email: [email protected]

https://australianemergencylaw.com/

Can a non-registered paramedic, let’s call them a medic, attend to emergency calls with lights and sirens as well as driving in a marked van labelled ‘ambulance’?

To read the full article please click here.

Australian Emergency Law
Discussion on the law that applies to or affects Australia’s emergency services and emergency management, by Michael Eburn, PhD, Australian Lawyer.
Email: [email protected]

https://australianemergencylaw.com/

I am a paramedic working for the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS). When we attend a patient we are required to complete an electronic ambulance report form (aERF). This document contains patient details, our assessment findings, and subsequent management including medication administered and interventions performed. It includes past medical history, current medications, and importantly allergies.

The transition of a patient from our care, to that of the hospital includes the following the steps: providing verbal handover at triage, verbal bedside handover, then delivery of our printed records to the bedside. The electronic version is stored and may be downloaded for clinical governance purposes. This documentation may also be requested by external organisations including the police, the Office of the Coroner, OHO, and the patient.

Due to “operational demands” it has become an increasing occurrence that paramedics are being dispatched to other cases prior to their immediate completion of the eARF. In regions of high workload it may be many hours, and several other cases, before this documentation is completed. This means hospitals do not receive immediate, and sometimes never, documentation relating to the prior care of the patient. It also means that there are likely to be inaccuracies and potential omissions from the documentation.

As treating paramedics, what are our legal obligations when it comes to completing and providing timely documentation on a patient we have verbally handed over to hospital staff?  Without considering internal QAS policy on this matter, would a paramedic have a legal stance to refuse an order to attend a new case based on their belief they needed to complete important elements of their care of their current patient (such as medications administered and allergies)?

My concerns come from the findings of Coroner David O’Connell in the inquest into the death of Marcia Joyce Loveday (28 October 2013). The coroner seems to indicate his trust on the attending paramedic’s word based on their eARF completed prior to the paramedic’s knowledge a clinical incident had occurred. If we provide a verbal handover it seems we have no supporting evidence unless we also provide timely paperwork.

Without going into specifics, I am also aware of a situation where a hospital in our region placed a high degree of blame onto not identifying a rupturing Aortic Aneurysm on what they claimed was an insufficient verbal handover from the treating paramedic. My understanding is the paramedic’s documentation was used to support their version of events.

I appreciate if you are able to provide some clarity on this. I am concerned that operational needs or KPI’s, are overtaking the reason for our existence of providing a high standard of clinical care.

To read the full article please click here.

Australian Emergency Law
Discussion on the law that applies to or affects Australia’s emergency services and emergency management, by Michael Eburn, PhD, Australian Lawyer.
Email: [email protected]

https://australianemergencylaw.com/

I have been working in the mines for the last 2 years. Have recently changed sites and now on a site with quite an old ambulance. This troop carrier still has the long bench seat (side facing seats) with lap type seat belts. In a recent team meeting the 4 medics were asked by our supervisor on feedback on our equipment. The ambulance received the greatest amount of comment.

My question is what is the legality of side facing seats in ambulances? A couple of the other medics and I have spoken after this meeting and we have all heard that side facing seats are now illegal and against Australian Standards. I have done a bit of a web search and see a lot of talk about new proposed laws for years but nothing from a reliable source. I can also assume the rumor mill starts something and the facts get changed. If there are new laws is that only apply to new vehicles. How would this also apply to WHS legislation if the changes to remove side-facing seats in new vehicles was as a result of increased injury.

To read the full article please click here.

Australian Emergency Law
Discussion on the law that applies to or affects Australia’s emergency services and emergency management, by Michael Eburn, PhD, Australian Lawyer.
Email: [email protected]

https://australianemergencylaw.com/

Survey Status – Currently Active click here.
Survey Data Collected – 25/08/2024- 12/12/2024
Number of Participants – TBA
Survey Results – TBA

Yes, as a financial member of the AEAWA (the fortnightly fees you pay the Association), your Professional Indemnity Insurance required by AHPRA for your registration are paid in full.

AHPRA will periodically audit you as a Paramedic to ensure you meet the requirements for registration and that you are covered under a Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy. This is the box you tick each year when re-registering to work as a Paramedic. The AEAWA have been in constant contact with AHPRA and can assist you with this process, now we have streamlined the paperwork.

If you have been audited you will need to find your AHPRA Paramedic Registration Number which will look something like this PARA0001107777. Email [email protected] and please place in the subject line AHPRA Audit and your Registration number, as we may receive up to 80 of these requests a week and this makes it easier to track.

Once received you will be emailed the approved AHPRA/AEAWA template signed on your behalf by the AEAWA Secretary to certify to AHPRA that you have Professional Indemnity Insurance through your AEAWA membership, which in turn will satisfy the insurance component of your registration .

Any further questions or issues you have with AHPRA please contact the AEAWA or one of our Delegates.

If the matter is urgent, contact a delegate from the AEAWA website www.aeawa.com.au. If the matter is non-urgent, or you have a general enquiry, suggestion or feedback, please email [email protected]. We try to respond to all emails within 24 hours.

You should contact the AEAWA through [email protected], as soon as you suspect there might be a problem. The AEAWA will not take any action without your authorisation. If you are called to attend a meeting, you can request to be provided with an agenda to assist with your preparation.

If you are provided with detailed information/allegations prior to the meeting, we can prepare for the meeting. Make sure you seek the AEAWA’s industrial advice before submitting any written materials.

You should be informed:

• what the meeting is about?
• who will be at the meeting?
• where and when the meeting will be held?
• whether there are any documents relevant to the matters to be discussed at the meeting. If so, you should request a copy of those documents.

You can request that this information is provided to you in writing. If the meeting is part of an investigation (especially if you are the subject of the investigation), you can also request:

• the terms of reference for the investigation, including information about the investigator’s role
• a copy of the policies and guidelines to be followed in conducting the investigation
• a copy of the policies and guidelines alleged to have been breached.

Please contact an AEAWA delegate for more information, or email [email protected].