On Monday, ADHSU delegates met with the Service regarding the proposal to recruit permanent part-time paramedic interns. The Service have continued to fail to genuinely consult on this issue.

Some key points from the meeting:

• The Service confirmed that at the end of the part-time intern’s training, they will be treated like any regular P1T and can be sent ANYWHERE IN THE STATE on the same 0.5 part-time hours as their internship
• There is still no proposal document for consultation (a reminder that genuine consultation requires all staff the opportunity to provide feedback prior to a decision being made)
• The Service admitted this is not a trial – if this plan goes ahead, it is going to stay and will likely expand

This first point is extremely sinister because this was not communicated to graduates who completed the EOI. It will keep these graduates in underemployment for years and make it extremely difficult for them to find secondary employment (especially in regional towns). 

It is also a slap in the face for current paramedics who have to fight tooth and nail to obtain part-time employment.

ADHSU bans of withholding debtor details are ongoing. As of 10:00pm tonight, we will be escalating these bans until our demands for genuine consultation are met.

Our demands are:

1. A written briefing document of the proposal.
2. Withdrawal of the 11 December EOI and survey that the Service relies upon as ‘support’ for the proposal.
3. Reissuing of formal communications to graduates on the e-list informing them that at the end of their training, they will be treated like any regular P1T and can be sent anywhere in the state on the same 0.5 part-time hours as their internship.
4. Withdrawal of the FAQ issued to all staff on 7 January.
5. Paid time meetings with all ADHSU members to be facilitated to discuss the proposal.

We will not attend any further meetings until the above demands are met.

Per last year’s vote, the escalated bans in place are as follows:

1. All HSU members will delay pressing "off stretcher status" on the MDT until the medical record for their current case is complete, the ambulance is appropriately decontaminated, and paramedics are suitably recovered to respond to another case.
2. Non-urgent hospital discharges or non-urgent hospital transfers will NOT be conducted between 2200 hours and 0700 hours.