Author Archives : admin

** Tasmania, Australia paramedics hold on escalating work bans;hopeful settlement could be forthcoming

** Ontario paramedics/firefighters in Hamilton raise money for cancer stricken paramedic

** In an effort to work out a deal on meal breaks and rostering, Tasmanian paramedics have decided not to escalate work bans. That is the word from The Examiner (Jodie Stephens/November 30) which quoted medics union state secretary Chris Brown as saying Friday discussions with the government proved hopeful. Brown said he expected a formal proposal on the talks early this week. The meeting was the first face-to-face between the two sides since industrial action began November 25th. Although the union has agreed to accept a 2 per cent wage hike, sticking points surround the issue of meal breaks. The union wants a $10 penalty paid to members who miss such pauses. They also want a penalty paid if scheduling changes within a certain time frame.

** In the spirit of the season, a group of Hamilton firefighters have given money raised from the Movember moustache growing campaign to a paramedic battling cancer. The Spectator (Joanna Frketich/November 28) said medic Amanda Nederveen, 34, who is currently receiving chemo and is off work, has no current income. A part time paramedic, she has no short term disability but is covered by her husband’s teacher medical benefits. She also can not claim unemployment because she was diagnosed post maternity leave. Firefighters spokesman Denis Guite said firefighters should be able to give about $1,800. Hamilton paramedics are also raising money for Nederveen.

** UK ambulance service increasingly using police cars for hospital transports

** UK House of Lords peer advocates using fire trucks for patient transport

** An ambulance shortage in Cambridgeshire has prompted the increasing use of police cars to take EMS patients to hospital. That is the word from the Cambridge News (Raymond Brown/November 29) which said between April and October of this year cruiser cars have been employed for the purpose 41 times. According to the newspaper, the news comes as the East of England Ambulance Service publicly stated it needed 30 million pounds extra to achieve response time targets. Police Federation spokesman Oz Merrygold decried the practice of using law enforcement to plug prehospital gaps. Merrygold said using untrained police as medics is a recipe for disaster. Cambridge MP Dr. Julian Huppert, meanwhile, said the approach is undermining public trust in EMS.

** In a related story, a Conservative House of Lords member is advocating using fire trucks to take patients to hospital. The Standard (Nicholas Cecil/November 29) quoted Lord Selsdon, who lives in France half of the time, as saying fire should be employed anytime an ambulance can’t arrive on-scene in a timely manner. Selsdon was speaking during a debate on A & E matters, including the closure of some London emergency departments. London Ambulance Service director of operations Jason Killens quashed of idea of fire being involved in patient transport. He did, however, say the service was not averse to fire personnel cooperating with EMS staff at life-threatening calls.