SA Firefighter

I have actually met you, Bored Matrix, although you may not know it.  At that time you were quite happy to speak about OHS policies in the workplace.  My question to you is do you have a 'real' knowledge of them?

I am not quite sure but it seems BoredMatrix is the FIRST one to CARE that one particular company is not targeted on here. To the outsider it would seem some paramedics expert comments on the forum are slightly tainted by commercial interests?

But kudos to those who discredit all rival volunteer and commercial operators in the interest of covert promotion of their own commercial interests...

Bored Matrix seems to like to bag almost all, with one obvious omission...

Quote from: saambo on February 12, 2011, 10:58:55 AM
"Patient Transport Officers are working to get people to medical support in any circumstances, regardless of whether they are facing an emergency".

I personally would like medical intervention both non-emergency and emergency from a professionally trained and competent clinician not some person with a Certificate III in Patient Transport.. Specialising in delivering Nanna to her Radiology appointment and home again hahaha!! Keep your eyes peeled for next weeks edition of Careerone... Who knows IMS Ambulance Service could be starring next! Watch this space! ;)

You are entirely free to have your personal choice of provider saambo, and SAAS it is.  Just remember if u are in PTS, or struggle to make it in one day, that nanna is actually paying your bills, and demands respect.

  My question is what makes you think that SAAS is the only provider of professionally trained and competent staff.  From your responses on previous forums, I can only surmise that you get your opinions about private providers from your imagination, and that you have never spoken to a patient, carer, hospital staff member or Flinder's Paramedic student about who SAPS are and the service they provide.

Just to clarify, not all staff that work for SAPS are Cert III, that is the minimum.  They have IC Para, Para, Cert IV and Cert III.

The nursing home is obliged to do what is best for their resident.  If they are covered by the ambulance fund, and SAAS can get them to their appointment on time and exercise patient care, then great.

But if they can't make it, why couldn't SAPS transport, get the patient to their destination sooner, and not have them miss their appointment and get booted from the clinic.

FYI,
A nursing home would never allow a patient to be transported by a private AS and then be charged personally for the service, nor would the private ambulance service bill the patient...

Quote from: saambo on February 12, 2011, 11:27:56 AM
Nocare1 I would much prefer being provided a service by SAAS staff over a private provider anyday! I am sure much others would prefer this too? :)

Leave Emergency work for Paramedics and Transfers for SAAS Ambulance Officer...

Why don't you ask the patients, the nursing homes or the hospital staff who they prefer to be doing non-emergency transports?  I think you will find that you are out of favour saambo...

I must say the nursing homes love us, the hospitals love us and the public love us.  I think the question of whether we are doing the right job has been answered.

What do you all think?

I would have to say no fertiliser Bored-Matrix...maybe around 2 tonnes of cement though.  Sounds like you might like a good dose, PO...

That sole operator you are referring to would not have to follow the same rules as PMS SA, or IMS as he is not doing patient transport and does not have a license (that I am aware of).  The conditions for providing medical support at events are vastly different to the restrictions and conditions for Pt Tx.

Quote from: boredmatrix on August 24, 2010, 07:59:15 AM
as opposed to being able to just make allegedly slanderous comments and take the mickey out of whomever & whenever someone likes?

Glass houses and all that.....

= 10/10

Maybe speak to the orderlies first, and if you are going to report something, listen to the whole thing first.  The said incident was reported to PMS management at the time it happened.  The only reason for this being that the P.A. wanted to clean the pat-slide, and the orderly said, "don't worry, leave it outside against the wall, and I will fix it ASAP".  The said P.A. did in fact clean the stretcher, our cleaning products are in our vehicles, we aren't able to have a cabinet or locker like SAAS, and we don't want to use hospital products, so it has to be done outside.

Make sure you look at the whole chain-of-events and not a snapshot.  I am sure the orderly in question will be happy to clarify the situation.

Mr Amboman69,

Be weary.  It is hard to see the full picture from the confines of a chair in the ED.  You seem to know a lot about the patient and the P.A. for someone who should be either looking after their own patient, or clearing for the next job from dispatch.

Everybody makes mistakes, on occasion.  No one ever hears about the SAAS ones though, only private. There are things you perceive to be mistakes, when maybe it is done differently elsewhere...stick to patient care.

SO which one is dodgey?

@disOrderly

Promote that person!

I just read this thread.  I find it amusing that, although the posts are old, they are misleading to say the least.  The comment by IMS2009 that they are in no way affiliated with 'Workcare' is hilarious.  I am lead to believe the previous operations manager for Workcare now runs IMS...does that say a lot for the company?

Every ambulance system, and hospital system has issues.  NSW ambulance does a lot of things very well, and some things not so...don't forget population density, traffic, and admission rate are 'generally' higher in & around Sydney's major hospitals.  If you have ever seen St Vincent's ED on a weekend, it is amazing, 11 crews waiting in the corridor just to get beds, a lot of the time more, 11 cars!

I am in no way criticising SAAS, it is such a large system, and it does very well.  SAAS and the crews have been cooperative and friendly in all encounters.

Following on...if the patients are not ready, there isn't much that can be done.  I just find in that going to the wards that the patients seem to be ready much more quickly for Tx, they make a special effort to clear.  If they think all SAAS crews are out on Emerg jobs, or in Tx, they will not increase their throughput as the patient has nowhere to go.

A holding area is a great idea, push as hard as you all can to get it in the new hospital when it is built.

The ideal would be;
Orderlies accompany the PTS/ATS/Emerg crews to the wards.  This is how it is done in NSW Ambulance.  

The orderlies are great at moving patients, have great spacial reasoning and understand the hospital layout and system better.  Therefore an orderly can accompany the patient on a barouche with the Ambo crews accompanying the patient for a correct handover.  Orderlies should not be left with that responsibility, and I myself do not leave a patient unless they have been fully handed over to the ward, or consultant.

I have received nothing but excellent help from the orderlies, especially @ the RAH, and look forward to working with them constructively.

@IMS2009

Do you know the common law definition of defamation (libel/slander)?
You may wish to consider it in relation to your comments...

FYI,
The benefits of any disposable medical product are documented thoroughly in a number of medical journals, particularly in the United States, and also here in Australia.  With regard to draw sheets/stretcher sheets, disposable have benefits and drawbacks just as non-disp'.  Disposable decrease the risk of allergic/anaphylactic reaction of patients, whereas 'non-disp' obviously have a risk with bleaching agents (sometimes fragrances) becoming allergens.  Patients' also appreciate disposable with the feeling of sterility. 

The regular draw sheet is generally used to slide over the patient, but the disposable can also be used, and may well be predominantly in the future.  There is no difference in strength, and there is always another sheet on the ED barouche.  Hence this is a non-issue.  The patient is pat-slid over and then the disposable removed after (and quite easily), just as the regular one is.  But if there are people who never go to the wards, they would never know that.

Disposable simply costs the private operator more, saves the hospital money (public $ saved), and is better for the patient.  If everyone had the patient in mind, the system would function as we all would like it to. :wink:

2468, If you are refering to Paramedical Ambulances, I think they would look good net to your pumpers, you would have seen them next to the big NSW pumpers on 'Rescue Special Ops' in the last 2 episodes.

sorry, just realised this is for SAAS only...

I draw attention to the fundamental lack of progression and use of evidence based knowledge in the pre-hospital environment.

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-227X/9/23

A particular point of note is that 65.2% of the studied MICA paramedics in Victoria had basically no idea of correct procedure...

Happy reading

EMS Taxi; Emergency Medical Support Taxi, interesting.  I wonder how they will go with if it is found out they have Emergency on their clothing.

The relevant Act, which I won't get into, does not allow the use or carriage of emergency beacons or sirens on non-emergency ambulances.  The fact that SAAS has the only Emergency license means any other operators with beacons are acting illegally and outside their scope of practice.  PMS had to remove all emergency decals and/or lettering, and any other reference to emergency to have a licensed vehicle on the street.  There are no beacons or sirens on our vehicles.  I wonder who these green operators are?

360, you must be a station officer...smarter than the average bear

360J,

I am sorry, but I resent the fact that you refer to RMT, maybe without directly knowing but Paramedical Services is the only RTO provider producing RMT's.  We pay according to the "PRIVATE AMBULANCE SERVICES PROVIDERS CONSENT (STATE) AWARD" and often above it.

Regards,

Ben