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Better reward and recognition for ambulance officers: the fight continues

Wed 14 Oct 09 Comments (5)

The LHMU is continuing the fight to address, highlight and fight the real issues affecting Queensland Ambulance Service officers to ensure better reward and recognition for all.

Your union, on behalf of ambulance officer members, has increased media coverage campaign efforts to fight the issues of ramping, assaults on paramedics and the continued lack of human resource increases needed to meet the growing demands of the Queensland community.

Both The Australian newspaper and Sky News recently reported on the significant increase in ramping at hospitals, both across the state and nationally, suggesting hospitals were not adequately resourced to meet demands.

In addition to this, Queensland Communications Centres are continuing to experience problems with their computer aided dispatch system, ESCAD.

LHMU is hopeful a recent meeting with the Queensland Ambulance Service to discuss these issues will see strategies developed for resolving them.

A decision is also expected on the arbitration case from the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission before the end of the year.

For more information, please visit the AEA website at www.aeaq.org.au

 

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Wed 14 Oct 09  |  David Hartshorn
What about the ongoing issue of Emergency Medical Despatchers getting the National Medal? They get the QAS uniformed officer long service medal so why not the national. They are on the same EBA as on road officers and PTOs and have a compulsory requirement to go on road so there fore subject to the same environmental, traffic (responsing Code 1), domestic violence, disease exposure as paramedics and also subject to increasingly onerous MPDS auditing and despatch accountability. They are also the very front of the front line in being the first contact that members of the public make with the QAS.

Wed 21 Oct 09  |  Jason Dutton
Hi David

Thanks for your email.

The issue of the National Medal for EMD's is very important to us and we have taken a number of steps to address the inconsistency. These steps include meeting with the Minister for Community Safety, raising it with several politicians at a state level and with at least 1 Federal politician.

We have recently met with all Australian Ambulance Unions which face the same problem, and collectively we are going to take the fight to the Federal Government.

Unfortunately this is discrimination against EMD's is very complex, as the Police Services in Australia found out in the last couple of years when they tried to address the issue. Their resolve to the problem was the introduction of the National Police Medal. This excluded any officer from getting the National Service Medal but did address the inconsistency. This pathway is an option but we are not convinced that this fits QAS.

We will endevour to keep all EMD's informed.

Take care.

Thu 22 Oct 09  |  David Hartshorn
Thanks Jason, that all sounds quite positive, and it is pleasing to see the issue is not being ignored. I would however make mention of the fact that QPS comms ops (to the best of my knowledge) do not have a compulsory requirement to go on road with operational QPS officers. To me, that issue alone is a very compelling reason why QAS EMDs, who also wear the same uniform as paramedics, should qualify for the National Medal. I remember a case some time back involving an EMD attending a case on road with a paramedic crew, involving a deceased infant. On arrival at the scene the EMD was the first out of the vehicle and, being in the same uniform, had the infant thrust at them, with an urgent request to do something. That case is a perfect example of an EMD being subject to the same on road stressors as paramedics.

Mon 19 Oct 09  |  Pete Solomon
Lets hope the QIRC get it right and mandate a signifigant increase in wages without too much impact on conditions. The Union still needs to push for more staff, particularly in rural and remote areas with 84 stations in Queensland still responding single officers. I have over 7500 square kilometres to cover on my own, about 3500 people, with no back up ever. My NSW counterparts about 90 klms away serve a smaller area with a third the people but have a staff of 5 and never respons alone. QAS has its head in the sand about the matter and I still have stretchers designed for two person operation etc that they cant change. Im also outside the QAS manual handling policy as I lift on my own but they cant tell me if Im covered by Workcover as I break the policy every time I transport a pt.

Wed 21 Oct 09  |  Jason Dutton
Hi Pete

Thanks for your email.

Firstly and most definately when put in a situation by your employer that contradicts its policy and procedures and by no fault of your own you are absolutely covered by workcover.

The push for more staff will continue and while we have addressed a number of stations there are some that need more. Your example is a very interesting one when compared to NSW, I appreciate you drawing this to our attention.

As for the stretcher the installation of a 2 oficer stretcher is not appropriate and I will raise this with the region as a matter of urgency.

Thanks again.

Jason

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