June 2022 Newsletter

Message from the President

Welcome to this edition of the Paramedicine Council of NSW newsletter. 2022 has continued to be challenging for the profession, in both the public and private sectors, with unprecedented demand for health services. The Council continues to acknowledge the outstanding work of paramedics in the provision of health care across NSW.

The Paramedicine Board of Australia released its most recent quarterly report covering the period Jan-Mar 2022 noting there were 5903 paramedics nominating NSW as their principal place of practice (PPP). This is a significant increase from just three years ago with the Board reporting in March 2019 there were 4059 paramedics nominating a NSW PPP. Over the same time the Council has experienced an increase in the volume of notifications it has received annually. This increase is certainly not indicative of any trend in the standard of care provided across the profession, however it does reflect the increasing workload of the Council in managing notifications transparently, carefully and fairly within as short a timeframe as possible. There is more information concerning the Council’s notification volume in this newsletter.

You may not be aware that the co-regulatory provisions of the National Law as enacted in NSW gives the 15 Health Professional Councils in NSW, including the Paramedicine Council, more options for managing notifications against practitioners than is the case in other jurisdictions. In particular the NSW provisions allow the Council and paramedics to meet face to face, through a range of interview processes and panel structures, so they can better explore and understand the issues concerning a notification.

The face-to-face interview approach ensures paramedics, where appropriate, can have a direct voice presenting their perspective into the notification process and the Council is able to better appreciate the circumstances and context of each notification. This supports the notification being managed through the most appropriate pathway i.e. health, performance, conduct or discontinuation. In addition the NSW process ensures practitioners are kept up to date concerning the progress and status of their case.

Whilst these additional NSW options, not available in other jurisdictions, support effective management of notifications there are costs associated with convening the various panels and their associated activity. However NSW practitioners and the community can feel confident in the value and benefit these additional options represent for effective notification management supporting public safety, public interest and the wellbeing of practitioners subject to notification. The cost of notification management is included in our annual registration fee.

In May 2022, we bid farewell to one of our Council members, Phillip Ebbs. I would like to thank and acknowledge Phillip for his contribution to Council, the profession, and community of NSW. Phillip’s wise counsel will be missed. In the coming months, please look out for details about membership of Council and a call for expressions of interest.

Again thank you for the service you provide to the community and please stay safe and take care of yourselves and each other.

Adjunct Associate Professor Alan Morrison ASM
President, Paramedicine Council of NSW

Advance copy: Revised Code of Conduct for Paramedics

Twelve of the National Boards have published an advance copy of their revised shared Code of conduct (the code) and are encouraging practitioners to familiarise themselves with it before it comes into effect on 29 June 2022.

The code sets out National Boards’ expectations of professional behaviour and conduct for practitioners registered in these professions, which promotes safe and effective care and helps to keep the public safe. It articulates the duty of practitioners to make the people they provide care for their primary concern and to practise safely and effectively whilst maintaining a high level of professional performance and conduct. The shared code sets the same expectations for all 12 professions subject to the code. This consistency supports inter-professional practice further contributing to safety and quality in healthcare.

Practitioners have a professional responsibility to be familiar with and to apply the code in their practice.

The public can use the code to better understand what they can expect from registered health practitioners and if the care they provide meets expected standards.

The Council uses the code to evaluate professional conduct and practice when assessing notifications concerning paramedics.

To read the advance copy of the code please visit the Shared Code of conduct page on the Ahpra website.

Council activity

Since its establishment in December 2018, the Council has received an increasing number of notifications each year. Every notification is assessed and managed individually, and contributes to keeping the Council busy. This trend doesn't reflect that paramedics are getting 'worse'; rather, that the paramedic profession is growing, and the profession’s understanding of mandatory notifications is getting better.

It is important to reflect on the value of these notifications for the profession. This allows the Council and its regulatory partners to better understand the challenges within paramedicine and to continue to lend support by shaping the profession through its regulatory frameworks and processes.

You can find more information about our work in our Annual Report  and the Paramedicine Board of Australia’s Annual Report provides a snapshot of notifications about paramedics in Australia.

The role of the Paramedicine Council

The Council’s main focus is public health and safety. We do this by managing notifications made about the conduct, performance and health of registered paramedics and students in NSW. To learn more about the role of the Council you can visit our website.

Appropriate accountability – sharing the responsibility

In addition to regulatory frameworks which come with registration, employers and practitioners also share the important role of providing safety and assurance in the care provided by health practitioners. As with the code of conduct mentioned above, there are different responsibilities and requirements for both employers and those who are employed as health practitioners.

Everyone has a role to play in ensuring the protection of the safety of the public is the primary intent when providing clinical care and/or making a notification. There are times when notifications are mandatory.

Mandatory notifications

By law, registered health practitioners, employers and education providers must make a mandatory notification in some circumstances. Mandatory notifications help to protect the public by ensuring that Ahpra and the National Board are alerted to any potential risks to public safety, so that appropriate safety nets can be put in place.

Notifications about registered health practitioners with a principal place of practice within NSW are managed by the Paramedicine Council in collaboration with the Health Care Complaints Commission.

Understanding when to make a mandatory notification and when not to, is an important way you can help to protect the public and support your colleagues. Click here to find out more.

Notice of certain events

Similarly, in accordance with the law, registered health practitioners must advise Ahpra or the Paramedicine Council, within seven days of becoming aware of a relevant event or change in their status in relation to the following events:

· you have been charged, in a participating jurisdiction or elsewhere, with an offence punishable by 12 months imprisonment or more

· you have been convicted of, or are the subject of a finding of guilt for, an offence, in a participating jurisdiction or elsewhere, punishable by imprisonment

· your appropriate professional indemnity insurance arrangements are no longer in place

· your right to practise at a hospital or another facility at which health services are provided is withdrawn or restricted because of your conduct, professional performance or health

· your billing privileges are withdrawn or restricted under the Human Services (Medicare) Act 1973 (Cth) because of your conduct, professional performance or health

· your registration under the law of another country that provides for the registration of health practitioners is suspended, cancelled or made subject to a condition or another restriction

· a complaint has been made about you to:

• the chief executive officer under the Human Services (Medicare) Act 1973 (Cth)
• an entity performing functions under the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth)
• the Secretary within the meaning of the National Health Act 1953 (Cth)
• the Secretary to the Department in which the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) is administered, or
• another Commonwealth, state or territory entity having functions relating to professional services provided by health practitioners or the regulation of health practitioners.

Failure to do so will not constitute an offence but may constitute behaviour for which action relating to health, conduct or performance may be taken. Click here to find out more.

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