An update to our current “ATM Mentoring Dispute”. In summary AEAWA have been advised by the Director of People Services that St John Ambulance is proceeding to breach our Certified Agreement and utilise Ambulance Transport Medics for an Emergency response. As disappointing as managements decision is it certainly was not unexpected, the new Health Department Delivery of Service contract has exposed this Organisation to its core and now it is in full panic mode.
No more ramping slush funds, significant financial penalties for not meeting response times and an under resourced emergency service over the last 5 years.
The AEAWA were advised by SJA the criteria stipulated by us for acceptance of the LAR mentoring (Low Acuity Response) was not supportive of their requirements as they want the ability to dispatch ATM/Paramedic crews to P0, P1 & P2 if they are the “closest crew”. SJA management advised they have only been notified of 1.5 hours (90 minutes) of AO /AO pairing across all of Metro since the 8th January (due to a Paramedic book-off), the AEAWA will continue to keep our members updated and informed.
SJA management have been continually told that the on road operational staff are very concerned with the lack of support and morale is bouncing along the bottom still, these are the same employees who gifted management $15 million in job keeper during COVID-19 for their property acquisitions and have financed a Metropolitan Management Model to the detriment of a community response.
Finding 22 of the Parliamentary Inquiry – The emergency service in Western Australia has the highest proportion of non-operational personnel in Australia. The proportion of non-operational personnel in WA is almost 3 times higher than the national average.