SA Firefighter

Quote from: CopULater on June 17, 2013, 09:07:11 AM
heres a pic of a Victoria St Johns vehicle. Looks like an emergency vehicle while advertising all services St Johns offers (so a little bit of a corporate touch). Why doesn't St John have a national vehicle livery design like they do in the UK?

Just perhaps they cannot make there minds up!

Kelly

I luvs youze all...

Don't be alarmed if things appear to getting hard to understand and a little above your staion. Embrace, and allow the flow! :-D

Kellyp

Thank You Straps for the enlightenment.

So you are actually suggesting that St Johns is part of SA Displan.

St Johns would not actually be operating under standard every day Code 1 emergency calls, just First Aid at parties, footy and other attractions with their new colours much like their cometitors except the grandfather clause maintains their rights to the title Ambulance Service and the use of warning facilities on their vehicleswith same 1st Aiders.

Pretty new colors an ambulance service doth not make.

Straps you do sound like a member of the St Johns Brigade, if you are declare yourself and show your true colors.
While I am not a member any more I do support the Johno's endeavours.

Is this trolling "Please Explain".

Kellyp 

And the question was...

Please inform of what emergencies St Johns will be attending in SA.

Kellyp

PS. The intelligent discussion of use of reflective materials in this modern age. Who would have thought!

Please inform of what emergencies St Johns will attending in SA.
Kellyp

They may wish they hadn't bought FIAT (Fix It Again Tony) vehicles.

Yes you are right in part Scrubbed.
The only difference is they are NEW ones fitted with Stryker units at $38,000 each unit (not counting installation). The old ones are up in the country still.
Just for a moment in time could be a problem for St Johns as all their ambulances have been fitted with Stryker stretchers, incompatible with Ferno 50 E stretchers and cannot be loaded into Helimed with the current Helimed configuration.

Regards

Kellyp

It is sad about the Vollies sprinters BUT in Victoria you might'nt be surprised to find that all 19 Sprinters have been built and paid for by AV. The Biatric units fittings alone cost $38000.00 (that not counting the installation and special seats requiered).

It's not what you know BUT who you know.......Jobs for boy's again.
(until someone can factually prove me wrong).
Kellyp

Hello All,

I have read RescueHazmat post.

In my case I have only brought to the attention of readers of what has been reported in the media nothing more and nothing less.
I don't personally have a beef with any company AND I do not suggest that any person should use this or any forum to vent their spleen as it does no good in the short or long term. However I do say that a forum is just that, a forum and if you and any other are afraid of factual evidence I for one will deregister.

To all the people who enjoy forums there will be more as this is today and tommorrows communications. This is shown by the many millions who have used their local forums to bring unfair dealings to an end, even governments.

Regards
Kellyp

Hello all,
Fair enough to all respondents and to the readers who may or may not agree let us read your comment. Just a couple of lines starts the ball rolling.

Regards

Kelly

Hello All,

Yes you absolutely right in just about every point.
I stand corrected, and do so with the thought of patients on the receiving end of ambulance personnel looking after them after they have just finished a shift with another company. True they can work two or three jobs and mow their lawns etc but when a government department indicates that a tired driver is not much different to a person who has been drinking alcohol to the point of .05 then it does concern me.
No I won't take to an ICAC equivalent in Victoria because because I don't need to as they will bring themselves undone, it just when.
8hrs work, 8hrs play, 8hrs sleep. Did I read that somewhere!
It appears there are among you that don't much care anyhow, This is a blog after all,

Regards

Kelly

The story published in The Age Newspaper about EMSA and others did not go far enough.
St Johns Ambulance as previously mentioned is back dooring the NEPT industry by recruiting former employees of current patient transport providers including  Top Management. (Just goes to show how inept SJ's was before doesn't it?).
What the story didn't tell you was that Ambulance Victoria has ordered that all AV contractors must now have nothing less than Ferno 50E (the Yellow Ones) stretchers in NEPT vehicles. Contractors had already installed one of these stretchers and now must have 2. Further, the contractors must also be fully equipped for more than Code 2 and include a stair chair. (Jeez they're waking up).PTO's are also receiving further intruction in Emergency driving skills. Hello something we missed here?
The property mentioned being EMSA HQ in Hoppers Crossing is really there.
What the AV and the union failed to mentioned is that they pulled EMSA out of the site supposedly setting the site up for St John Ambulance.
Now, you can read into that what you like. Me, I think there is skullduggery going on bigtime (using taxpayers dollars also) and the Victorian Government, Ambulance Victoria and St Johns are as thick as thieves.

Kelly

Hello All,

To quote SBA:
"Ambulance officers union secretary Steve McGhie called on Ambulance Victoria to provide information to show there was no conflict of interest. He also said Ambulance Victoria should explain why, when it was struggling to keep ambulances on the road because of a lack of staff, it allowed its paramedics to work after-hours for private companies. EMSA relies heavily on casual staff, often Ambulance Victoria paramedics doing after-hours shifts."

It may have been noticed by some that any continueing story on EMSA and others in The Age Newspaper I brought to your attention appears to have been embargowed by the Victorian Government.

You can form your own opinions on this but I personally think it stinks. The union has gone quiet (naturally because they wouldn't want to rattle fundings) Ambulance Victoria has closed the gate and the Vic Government does not want the public to know the reasons why they can't put ambulances on the road (on all shifts). Okay some para's are double dipping by working for the privates on their off time. I think it is wrong and should be outlawed. Why, patients lives are at risk. Much the same as a truckie not sleeping and getting the much needed rest to continue their work in safety. Paramedics that are working when they should be resting are doing no one a favour by sleeping on the job.
Governments around Australia legislate manatory rest periods for other industries yet they allow paramedics (former ambulance officers) and Police officers to do it.

Okay, what are your thoughts on this?
Please read my next post also.

Kelly

Hello everyone I trust you had a good safe Easter break.

The Poo has hit the proverbial in Victoria with 1st Aid services.

If you can grab an Age newspaper (Victorian) you will see a front page story of one 1st Aid provider possibly not doing what it is supposed to be doing. Pages 22 and 23 also provide further in depth information.

I would suggest that some-one (individual or entity) is peeved a lot.

The union is jumping up and down (normal) the Jacks and another are hissing and government paramedics operate and or work in the industry.

You read it then form your own opinion....

PS: St John Ambulance SJA used to have just about exclusive rights to 1st aid duties in Victoria and elsewhere until private companies took away their pennies. Also see previous post re SJA doing AV obese transports.

Regards

Kelly

My My,

Some-one is getting the message it appears.

If one does not have a licence under the health act (part 6) and and appropiate insurances they should not be attending to anyone.

Kelly

Hello All,

Information catch-up for many.

St Johns Ambulance have taken the AV obesity contract from NPT in Victoria and are recruiting staff from NPT and others. Already recruited a Top Manager from NPT and 2 Top Managers from G4S (formerly Medical Transport Services). It appears that ST Johns still holds ambulance status under grandfather clauses and can, if required instigate said status should the need arise without going through normal channels. St Johns ambulance use their in DISPLAN.

AV is cutting back expenditure in rural NEPT (contractors)and appears to be looking at switching to maintaining AV coverage with St John. Some incumbents to lose big time.
There was a letter circulating from the a government minister asking the ASV (now AV) to provide vehicles to St Johns in preference to other NEPT services and it appears that AV is supplying NEPT vehicles also.

Just for interest. The top managers that St Johns have secured are ex ASV management that took a package and went NEPT. Full Circle!

Regards

Kellyp

Hello Flametrees, and every respondent to my post regarding ECP's.

No, I do not have an issue with SAAS or any other emerg and or health service.

There are some reponses to my posts that saw through my topic reponses.

You have all read the posts and you have all reponded in a positive manner and I congratulate you all accordingly.

This is now over as I brought a decent discussion to fore and I shall now read with interest your final responses.

I am sorry if I upset some of you but I needed for you to pounce and give some virtiol (in a nice manner) which you did in support of the ECP'.

I support any manner of assistance to the public and as been stated the ECP programme has been rolled out around Australia and the world so it is not new but it is very effective and good luck chaps. Keep it coming.
Nice picture in The Bordertown newspaper.
Regards

Kelly

Quote from: FlameTrees on November 14, 2012, 12:44:20 PM
Looks like I've been trapped under the bridge too, but couldnt let this go.....

Quote from: kellyp on November 10, 2012, 08:41:08 AM
Hi Pip and SBA,

Don't worry about falling into a troll trap as I do not apply such things. Just constructive criticism that may some professionals who spend time trolling through universities at taxpayers expense proving that they are good at study.

RDNS might well be a NFP group contracted by government. So what is the problem for them getting some payment for each callout. They are DEGREE and Nationally registered whereas Paramedics are not.

Ummm...wrong. Have you not heard of the Bachelor of Human Sciences (Ambulance) that has been run out of Flinders University for a number of years now??? People who do a 3 year degree with no guarantee of a paramedic job at the end of it. At least a nursing degree pretty much guarantees a job.

QuoteSorry about Gambier not having Vollies, maybe you should look into that and get it sorted.

It's not a matter of the community just going to SAAS and demanding a vehicle and training for a volunteer crew.

QuoteSAAS is part of the emergency sector as is police and the fire department. So why don't we train up the police to do exactly what ECP's do considering they are all part of SA Health in one form or another.

SAPOL MFS, CFS and SES as emergency services are part of SA Health????  WTF?????? Seriously, what are you smoking to even think, let alone believe this. They may work with SA Health departments in some cases, but they are NOT under the SA Health banner in any way.


ECP's attending Acute cases of low acuity (changing a bandaid perhaps) appears to be overkill for their skills training don't you think.

Paragraph 3 really tells the story somewhat of ECP's doing what they should not be doing as this is Registered Nurses and Doctors area and the SA Government should really spend OUR taxpayers monies on providing funds to the professionals in this area, not paramedic's (and there are some fabulous ones) who by their own desire became paramedics to specialise in the emergency field.   

I do not think for one minute that this is beyond 1st aid as previously mentioned in other posts. Vollies can be trained (except in Gambier) and provided with appropiate vehicles and equipment to attend and if an ambulance is required then they will call it in.
Or, the SA Health could use taxpayers funds to pay for registered nurses who would call it in if an ambulance is required also.

QuoteIt is wrong to suggest that RDNS wouldn't get out of bed to attend, they are after all professionals and their duty of care extends far and wide.

Have you ever tried to book a RDNS??  Last time I tried, there was about a 6 week waiting list. Do you really want anyone who has something like a blcked catheter to wait 6 weeks to get it done? Or should they go and further congest the rapidly decreasing GP office Or clog up an already over worked public health system?? Or heavens forbid, let us have an extension to an emergency service that already exists with highly qualified people who are already set up to provide an instant respone to these sorts of health issues.

Paramedics are health professionals (in a positively different field).
I'd like to see these same professionals working in an emergency department.
It appears that the lights and siren saga once again raises an issue. No one ever mentioned the need for these (especially for low acuity cases).

Most ECP jobs are dispatched as P4, P5 type cases. ECP vehicles are normally marked vehicles, but with covert lighting, as they are still used to first respond to P1 and P2 jobs if they happen to be the closest resource.


You seem to really have an issue with SAAS kelly.

 :-D
An armchair critic indeed.

kellyp

Quote from: sba on November 13, 2012, 04:47:29 AM
We really do need a warning sign.

"DON'T FEED THE TROLL"

Hi Numpty 2012,

Give up what dear, pushing your barrow!

I do not hijack every other post and I do not push any flawed argument because I don't have one. All I am interested in is a better outcome for the taxpayers dollar.

If people lose interest then they won't read the posts and then a forum is no longer.

I am not an ambulance spotter, you might be but my paramedical (ambulance) training precludes such things.

Lack of insight well may be.


49.4% of ED presentations avoided and 5.3% of cases avoiding a hospital admission. Good figures if one is measuring out of 100% but it isn't.

I am happy if the cost savings are there and certainly happy if everything is as it seems.
Is there something you want to tell the forum about on these supposed figures?

Every body knows that the whopping $76 per annum for ambulance cover wouldn't cover the cost of the bedsheets and as previously stated the malingerers will always take advantage when there could be a looming disaster is just around the corner. So how many ECP's are to be deployed around the state? If it is working good.


You state that SAAS don't have the luxury of saying no or sitting in the armchair poo pooing everyone else who has no solutions but plenty of opinions about how they should structure their important business and resources within a tight budget and ever increasing population demand.

What are you doing exactly now Numpty.

I will push the government to scrap unnecessary costly programmes and I will push further for the right funding in the right area and not sqaundering millions of dollars on feel good programmes to make fat cat and armchair critics happy.

If the ECP's work then it's worth it but don't insult me suggesting I am insulting paramedics.

Regards

Kelly

Hello Skippy,

I am not suggesting that ECP's attendance to patients in need is not for the public good rather the cost and the fact that there are appropiately skilled personel out there who could do the job just as well.
ECP's, as you state do do their job well and help many but it is an expensive case when they are attending to what is essentially a 1st aid case. The controllers receiving calls should be able to categorise each and every job to eliminate the malingerers and unfortunately there are many of these type of p-atient who slip through. The ECP's may well be out there attending to what appears to be a simple case when in reality a looming disaster is happening just down the road. If the ECP's have to travel more than 50 km to a patient then legislation should be enacted requiring registered doctors/Nurses to attend calls of need (maybe to support the ECP's).

I have been there when all services where involved in a serious incident (as a bystander alongside a highly qualified officer) and we watched and photographed poetry in motion. The silence, the attention, the skills of all services attending a life threatening incidident on Glen Osmond Road a couple of years ago, even the public stood in awe of the professionalism from all in attendance. You only get this from highly skilled professionals with co-ordination of services and the ECP's would undoubtably be part of these services. (A photo of part of that scene is to be the front cover of a forthcoming publication).
Don't get me wrong, I support any means to assist the public in their calls for help but I do believe that highly qualified ECP's are better placed to be ready for the follow up call (that looming disaster) rather than the 1st aid call.

You are quite right what you state Skippy and and as I stated I am not taking anything away from the ECP' skills and training other that the overall swatting a fly with a sledgehammer when a light touch would suffice.

Regards
Kelly.   

Quote from: Skippy on November 10, 2012, 11:42:32 AM
If I may say something here - now im not part of the health industry.

BUT

from what I am reading I do not agree with you at all Kelly. Close family members have rendered the assistance of ECPs in the past, and, on one or two occasions I have been there watching their work. There is no way that someone would volunteer to be a "like a local doctor/clinician.

One - because they volunteer to assist in the prehospital service delivery/transporting to hospital so that trained and paid clincians can do the job.
Two - lets not forget that one does not automatically attain the ECP position: paramedic -> Intensive care paramedic -> ECP. So a vollie who has gone through 12-18 months of training, and, has been trained to provide basic emergency management should not be instilled with the obligation to provide the service which is regarded as the bridge between ambulance personnel and doctor.
And Three - How many vollies would actually want to go to a patients house for up to two hours (mentioned in this article) to establish a patient care plan or undertake the tasks mentioned by SBA? With work and family commitments I would say not many.

There's no escaping that ECPs do attend mundane taskings - like most emergency personnel do. However, I dont believe that a volunteer should be trained to undertake this training, only to call in a paramedic (who might be 100 km away) and waste time that could have been spent at hospital.

So whilst I dont have the clinical experience like you guys, I have witnessed the role of an ECP, and this is my personal opinion.

Cheers, Skip

Hi Pip and SBA,

Don't worry about falling into a troll trap as I do not apply such things. Just constructive criticism that may some professionals who spend time trolling through universities at taxpayers expense proving that they are good at study.

RDNS might well be a NFP group contracted by government. So what is the problem for them getting some payment for each callout. They are DEGREE and Nationally registered whereas Paramedics are not.

Sorry about Gambier not having Vollies, maybe you should look into that and get it sorted.
SAAS is part of the emergency sector as is police and the fire department. So why don't we train up the police to do exactly what ECP's do considering they are all part of SA Health in one form or another.
ECP's attending Acute cases of low acuity (changing a bandaid perhaps) appears to be overkill for their skills training don't you think.

Paragraph 3 really tells the story somewhat of ECP's doing what they should not be doing as this is Registered Nurses and Doctors area and the SA Government should really spend OUR taxpayers monies on providing funds to the professionals in this area, not paramedic's (and there are some fabulous ones) who by their own desire became paramedics to specialise in the emergency field.   

I do not think for one minute that this is beyond 1st aid as previously mentioned in other posts. Vollies can be trained (except in Gambier) and provided with appropiate vehicles and equipment to attend and if an ambulance is required then they will call it in.
Or, the SA Health could use taxpayers funds to pay for registered nurses who would call it in if an ambulance is required also.
It is wrong to suggest that RDNS wouldn't get out of bed to attend, they are after all professionals and their duty of care extends far and wide.
Paramedics are health professionals (in a positively different field).
I'd like to see these same professionals working in an emergency department.
It appears that the lights and siren saga once again raises an issue. No one ever mentioned the need for these (especially for low acuity cases).

Regards

Kelly

Quote from: sba on November 10, 2012, 07:14:54 AM
I reply mindful I'm falling into Kelly's forum troll trap.

Matt and Pip are on the money !

1. We have no volunteers based in My Gambier. Our rural volunteers do a fantastic jobs offering care to low workload areas. However this type if care (ECP) requires more than 6 months training and limited experience.

2. RDNS is a not for profit business (contracted by government) using nurses trained to provide care to CHRONIC health problems in patients homes.

3. SAAS is the prehospital arm of SA Health. ECPs deal with ACUTE issues of a low acuity nature. RDNS won't attend at 3am to suture some one, unblock a IDC catheter at a nursing home, attend preform on site blood test pathology (with instant results from the analyses in their vehicle, provide antibiotics, and help palliative care patients with extra pain relief to allow them to be comfirtable and to die at home (as many wish)

All this is beyond what kelly describes as "first aid" and does requires someone
well trained and equipped.

Paramedics are health care professionals who provide care in the community, this is our office and domain for ACUTE health issues and not just lights and siren emergencies.

Hello all,

I cannot tell whether or not RDNS nurses are available 24/7 as such in any given area. However, you are quite right about saving an emerg crew ambulance. Like I said previous it seems a waste of good training to have (Masters Trained) ECP doing what essentialy the local doctors/clinics could do and the cost to the taxpayer has not, it appears, been defined in real terms. Malingerers are many (especially late PM and early AM) and its not going to stop any time soon.

I believe that there are those out there who could do the ECP job quite efficiently and they are called VOLLIES.

Lets not forget that the Vollies have been looking after us for many years and with their skills upgraded one might find they will enjoy the challenge.

Regards

Kelly

Quote from: ftstn on November 08, 2012, 09:29:34 PM
Are district nurses available 24/7 like paramedics ?, we all have frequent flyer's who could easily be dealt with at 2 in the morning by an ECP saving both an emergency crew on the initial call for higher priority calls, And a PTS crew to take them back,

Whilst i will take the overtime for a PTS job at stupid o'clock, I would much prefer the cost saving of not having to go in the first pace, and for the record I work PTS for my State Govt agency,

Matt

Hello Pipster,

You are absolutely right.
If ECP's or other trained personel are able to treat early and save the cost and time of transport then that is a good thing.

My point is that the use of highly qualified paramedics (masters degree's) to do home visits to change a catheter etc seems a lot of unecessary training and cost when a RDNS are registered to do the exact same job. I am not in any decrying the ECP's rather the cost of additional training, vehicles etc.
Time wasting in emerg departments puts a strain on patients, hospitals and paramedics not withstanding the clogging up of the system and anything that helps to move patients along through system safely is a good thing.
I have just finished placement at a major hospital where ramping was evident and the holding up life saving ambo's and vehicles for what could seriously be
classed category 5 in the hospital category system.
It is not good enough and we know and it is not going to change dramatically anytime soon until we get more beds and appropriately trained staff.
If the ECP's can effect good results in their endeavours then so be it but a constant vigilance is warranted on patient time wasters (and there are many). I recall many years ago working within a major hospital ED and seeing the same malingerers coming through time and time again wasting valuable rescources.
Let me repeat myself. I am not against any activiity that will enhance patient care.

Regards
Kelly   

Quote from: Pipster on November 07, 2012, 07:50:50 PM
I don't know alot about this whole topic, but my understanding of ECP's is that they do a lot more than the RDNS Nurses.

ECP's do things such as suturing (except for faces) and re-inserting catheters.

These type of treatments are often the sorts of things that the elderly get sent to Emerg Departments, sit there for hours on a busy night, as they are not considered urgent, and effectively clog up an Emergency bed, before eventually being treated & sent back home / Nursing home.

If an ECP, (or some other relevantly trained health care professional) can do those jobs in the patient's home / nursing home, without the need for an ambulance trip to hospital, clogging up a bed in the Emerg Dept, and then an ambo trip back home, isn't that a good thing for everyone involved ?

Pip

Hello SBA,

How silly of me to use this forum for something that you might not be interested in.

With due respect this is a forum and I have always believed in the democratric right to place items in the arena (which may not be interesting to one or two) for the general consumption and provide a point of opinion.

So the ECP's are intensive care paramedics specially trained. Well, why does the powers that be use The Royal District Nurses. They have been around for many more years than I can remember AND do exactly that, nursing. If ECP's are going to hold a masters degree then don't you think it a waste of time and money of the taxpayer when they should really be out there doing what they joined up to do instead of pussyfooting around doing what appears to be plain old 1st Aid.

This is a forum sunshine and you can have your say, as I can, so cop it sweet.

Regards

Kelly

Quote from: sba on November 06, 2012, 04:59:24 PM
KellyP.

It seems you have taken 2 unrelated stories to create your post.

1. Who cares who the privates approach it's their business. If the health services don't want to respond to then, again who cares?

2. ECPs are increasing Ambulane staffing in the region not reducing it! ECPs will be able to deal with low acuity cases in the patients homes/aged care facility therefore  freeing up emergency ambulances that normally would have been dealing with these minor cases and reducing local emergency workload.

3. The SA ECP program has been a huge success in reducing emergency ambulance responses and emergency department beds/time for a good % of minor cases that once would have once required an emergency Ambulance and emergency dept. bed to deal with. The SA program is so successful that Tasmania and ACT ambulance services have sent staff to SA to be trained as ECPs for their respective states.

ECPs are intensive care paramedics who receive further advanced training (in the future at University Masters level) and definitely not a R&R situation for anyone.

I fail to see the point of your post?

Hello Everyone,

Just a bit of news re Limestone Coast.

A patient transport company (no names)was instumental in sending letters, and copies of rates to all Limestone Regions health services and hospitals offering patient transport services at a creditable discount to SAAS. (About 1/3rd the price I believe). Apparently not one reply from any health service or hospital. The information was sent to DON's and CEO's.

Gives some credibitily to the reason why the government is pulling ambulances the Limestone Region (see story below).

No matter what is said about the good things (see below) it seems most are looking for free hand-outs in one form or another.

The paramedics will be run off their feet trying to keep up with petty 1st aid calls when their skills should be in the emergency arena (unless of course this a government plan for R&R of former injured para's.

Definitely a case for 1st Aid training to be bumped up to the citizens of Limestone Region so they can at least take care of the smaller cases locally don't you think.

It hasn't worked anywhere else in Australia or the world so wwhy would it work here.

Regards

Kelly

Quote from: Skippy on October 21, 2012, 09:13:38 AM
I found this interesting, but should be a good idea with the growing population on the Limestone Coast. I believe they will be based in Mt Gambier

LIMESTONE Coast paramedics are trialling a program intended to reduce the strain on medical services.


Three of the region's experienced paramedics are undertaking specialist training so they can treat people suffering from non-urgent health complaints in their own homes.

Instead of arriving in a traditional ambulance, two of the specialist paramedics - known as extended care paramedics (ECP) - will arrive at the scene in a four-wheel-drive equipped to provide more than just emergency care.

While the vehicle will not be able to transport a patient to hospital, it will be stocked with supplies such as antibiotics, catheters and blood testing equipment.

Limestone Coast ambulance operations manager Andrew Thomas told The Border Watch he was hopeful this would prevent people who were suffering from low-acuity health complaints being taken to hospital unnecessarily.

"It's a more community-based approach, and it's been about three years in the making," he said.

Mr Thomas said an example of the service could be somebody with a urinary infection who would ordinarily have to call an ambulance to access medical help being administered the appropriate antibiotic by an ECP.

The specialist paramedic would then write a care plan - to be shared with the patient's usual GP and existing health providers such as aged care workers - to thoroughly tackle the issue and try to keep the patient in their home for longer.

"A traditional ambulance is usually at somebody's house for 20 to 30 minutes ... these guys might be at a person's house for up to two hours," Mr Thomas said.

If the situation turned out to be serious enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, Mr Thomas said the specialist paramedics could always call for an emergency ambulance.

"It's not replacing anyone - it's filling in the gaps and providing extra clinical pathways for patients in country areas," he said.

The pilot program will be tested in the Limestone Coast over 18 months, starting from the end of the year,

and will be regularly reviewed.

The initiative was made possible by the region's successful funding application to Health Workforce Australia, which resulted in a previously reported $630,000 federal grant to extend the scope of its workforce.

Experienced intensive care paramedic David Dewar is one of the three South East men training to become an ECP.


He said he was excited by the program because it could give people with non-emergency conditions an option other than an ambulance or the hospital's accident and emergency service.

"We might be able to avoid unnecessary long-distance transfers to the hospital, free-up emergency ambulance services and reduce the impact on our South East ambulance volunteers," Mr Dewar said.

"It could also take the pressure off the emergency department at the hospital because we can divert patients away from there."