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FACT SHEET
Ambulance Service Amendment Bill 2013
Ambulance and emergency management practice has advanced considerably
over the past thirty years. In particular, the nature of out of-hospital patient
care by ambulance services has evolved. The current legislation is more than
thirty years old and no longer reflects contemporary practice for emergency
ambulance services, non-emergency patient transport, out of hospital care and
first aid.
The Bill updates the legislative framework in Tasmania to provide for effective
licencing of commercial non-emergency patient transport services, improve
safety for patients and ambulance workers and meet the needs of
contemporary ambulance operations. The proposed amendments clarify the
clinical scope of practice of emergency ambulance services, non-emergency
patient transport, out of hospital care and first aid.
The Bill provides a contemporary licensing framework for commercial non-
emergency patient transport. The existing Act does not adequately provide
for the regulation of commercial operators. Amended legislation is required to
provide appropriate standards for commercial operators to ensure patient
safety.
Significant changes have occurred in education standards for paramedics over
the past 30 years and paramedics are now required to hold tertiary
qualifications. The proposed amendments recognise this and make specific
provision to protect and restrict the use of the term to appropriately qualified
persons.
Key provisions in the Bill
o Clarify the difference between various grades of patient care, i.e.
paramedic or emergency and urgent ambulance services, non-emergency
patient transport services and first aid services, to protect patients and
consumers and reflect contemporary standards of clinical governance,
oversight and qualification in the ambulance service sector.
o Include new definitions for "ambulance", "non-emergency patient
transport services" and "paramedic" and new offences and penalties for
misuse of these terms protect patient and consumer safety and reflect
contemporary standards of clinical governance, oversight and
qualifications in the ambulance service sector.
o Provide protection from liability to ambulance officers undertaking their
duties in good faith, within their scope of clinical practice.
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o Introduce a range of new offences against ambulance officers and
volunteers including assault, obstruction, threatening and impersonation
to address safety of patients and ambulance workers.
o Tighten the use of the term "ambulance" and restrict the use of the term
"paramedic". In recent years these terms have been used by people of
varying skill level. This has led to confusion for event organisers,
consumers and the public about what services are actually provided.
These measures address patient safety and allow the public and
consumers to understand the level of care they are receiving in
emergencies, at sporting and cultural events or in other situations.
o Provide for a licencing and regulatory regime for low acuity non-
emergency patient transport services to ensure that commercial
operators are appropriately regulated. First aid and event stand-by
services are not required to hold a licence and are not permitted to use
the terms "ambulance" and "paramedic" without authorisation.
o Provide for the prescribing and collection of fees to recoup the cost of
routine or miscellaneous expenses incurred by the Ambulance Service,
such as the provision of training services. The Act already allows fees to
be prescribed for operational ambulance services. The Government
policy of waiving fees incurred by Tasmanian residents will not change.
Commercial operators and providers of non-emergency patient transport
services and/or first aid providers have been consulted about the changes.
A two-year phase in period will apply to licensed operators. The relatively low
cost to industry (estimated to be approximately 73 cents per patient) is
balanced by the benefit to the public of clear terminology relating to
qualification and skill level and clear identification of emergency services.
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