REGIONAL AMBULANCE PATIENTS PUT AT RISK
BY FAILURE TO FUND INTENSIVE CARE
PARAMEDICS
15 March 2019
The Australian Paramedics Association (NSW) is concerned about the lack of funding for Intensive Care Paramedics (ICPs) in regional and rural areas of NSW.
APA (NSW) Secretary Gary Wilson said most ICPs were stationed in Sydney but there was a need in rural areas where serious trauma and long response and transport times put the lives of critically injured patients at risk and led to preventable suffering.
"Intensive care paramedics have increased training and utilise additional skills and medications to give critically injured patients a greater chance of survival but there is no funding to improve patchy ICP coverage across regional NSW," Mr Wilson said.
"Not only doesNSW Ambulance not train ICPs for the majority of regional/rural areas but that they want to downgrade, or refused to pay, ICPs who transfer to regional NSW because of a lack of funding for rural ICP positions."
"Our members who are qualified to provide intensive care during the transport of a patient to hospital may not be paid as ICPs when they transfer to areas that are not ICP funded. If they want to maintain their skills for the community, they must do so without being paid for their skills," Mr Wilson said.
"People in regional and rural areas do not receive the same level of service as those in metropolitan areas and yet we pay the same taxes. People deserve the same treatment no matter where they are in NSW."
"Both major parties are promising significant increases in paramedic numbers to attract votes in the State Election but neither group has addressed the significant deficit in funding for ICPs in regional and rural areas, ICPs that could save lives and relieve preventable suffering.
