The release of the NSW Parliament’s Upper House Report into bullying, harassment and discrimination in emergency services agencies is a sad indictment on the NSW Ambulance service which is revealed as the agency with the worst record for bullying.
The Report reveals 29 per cent of paramedics and NSW Ambulance staff have experienced bullying and 34 per cent have witnessed bullying.
The Report notes an Australian Paramedics Association (NSW) survey of members reported 70 per cent of paramedics had experienced bullying, mostly by senior managers and supervisors.
"There continues to be a serious problem within NSW Ambulance of bullying, harassment and discrimination and the Report highlights the inability of NSW Ambulance to properly manage its buying culture," said APA (NSW) Secretary Steve Pearce.
"We welcome the Committee’s recommendations and we call on the NSW Government to take urgent action to stamp out this insidious culture that has existed unaddressed within NSW Ambulance for decades," he said.
"Paramedics are still being subjected to bullying and harassment with terrifying consequences. "
Mr Pearce said there has been an appalling lack of action since the Parliamentary Committee took its evidence last year with the promised Health and Wellbeing systems caught up in committees and NSW Health imposing conditions that cause unnecessary delays."
"We want patients and paramedics to be safe but currently patient care is being hampered by a complaints management system that make things worse. Fewer paramedics on the road equals unacceptable delays for patients."
Mr Pearce said the APA (NSW) had called for an independent committee overseeing bullying, harassment and discrimination within NSW Ambulance.
He said previous reviews of NSW Ambulance’s Professional Standards Unit had resulted in no changes.
"There is no confidence in another review among paramedics who are suffering at the hands of managers using a range of subtle measures like rostering, denial of career opportunities, increased surveillance of work and unacceptable use of the performance management system to make the lives of paramedics a nightmare."
"This must end and it must end now," Mr Pearce said.
"Above all, paramedics want to see action that mirrors the ongoing rhetoric from NSW Ambulance about how they have failed paramedics and want to do things better."
"It just isn’t happening, nothing has changed on the ground and paramedics have had enough."
Media comment Steve Pearce 0414 718 542 ---
