In March 2021, after 20 years of constant disputes with the Service about single officer crewing, ADHSU delegates decided to apply for an Award with the IRC to ban single officer crewing for paramedics who were not trained or appointed to positions that work single. (Motorcycle and ECP)

ADHSU delegates put forward a strong case about the real and serious safety and training concerns that arise from single officer crewing, the IRC did not decide to make the Award that the ADHSU applied for.

The IRC did accept that single officer crewing was problematic and a cause for concern, so it opted to take a different approach to resolve the dispute.  Instead of making a stand-alone award that barred the employer from sending paramedics out single, it chose to enshrine the Dual Paramedic Crewing Work Instruction into the Award.  ADHSU delegates will continue with the Service to consult on the current Work Instruction and ensure that it is fit for purpose.

While the outcome is not everything that we wanted, it’s a step in the right direction.  It ensures that the Service must prioritise safe rostering and work to ensure that paramedics are paired up at the start of shift.

Regardless of the outcome, ADHSU members will always protect each other’s health and safety. We will be calling a full meeting of State-Wide delegates to discuss our industrial response to the vexed issue of single officer response.

Link to the full decision here:

https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/18102bd3a71f0122db1e1314

Application for NSW Ambulance Safe Paramedic Crewing Award - NSW Caselaw