MEDIA STATEMENT

Tuesday, 24 May 2022

The Australasian College of Paramedicine congratulates the successful candidates in the 2022 federal election and looks forward to building sustainable and fruitful partnerships with the new government and ensuring the Labor Party delivers on its pre-election pledge to pilot 50 Urgent Care Centres as a new mode of community healthcare and works with us to reshape the health landscape throughout the country.

In the wake of the election, it’s abundantly clear from the results that Australians are calling for demonstrable and meaningful change to the national health system. The College believes paramedicine has a key role to play moving forward, including the introduction of alternative service delivery models such as Community Paramedicine/Extended Care Paramedics, in which paramedics apply their training and skills in non-traditional community-based environments outside of the usual emergency response/transport model.

Maintaining the status quo and continued inertia on priorities such as health are no longer options. The people have spoken and, as demonstrated by the wave of newly elected Greens and Independents, they are seeking innovative and forward-thinking solutions to the challenges we face as a nation.

“With a new government in power and a groundswell of support for grassroots community representatives, it is an ideal time to reconceptualise how healthcare is delivered in Australia and how the paramedic workforce can help to address the shortcomings within the health system,” said College Chair Ryan Lovett.

High on our agenda is ensuring that paramedics are given the opportunity to work alongside their fellow healthcare professionals as part of integrated, multidisciplinary teams in the management and care of the unplanned and acute patient conditions that make up the bulk of presentations to Urgent Care Centres.

“We will also work together with the new government for the appointment of a Commonwealth Chief Paramedic Officer to ensure the profession is represented at the highest level, and that our voices will be heard and our perspectives considered. And we will push to increase funding for primary health care nationally to deliver better health services and improved public health outcomes for all Australians.”

The 2022 election has provided us with the potential and scope to expand paramedic practice in innovative, cost-effective, and beneficial new directions, and we welcome the opportunity to further explore these avenues with the new government and the incoming representatives who are driving change.

Media Contact:

Jacintha Victor John, Advocacy and Government Relations Manager, Australasian College of Paramedicine, on 0499 571 180 or jacintha.victorjohn@paramedics.org

Our media statement can be downloaded at: https://paramedics.org/storage/news/ACP-media-statement-May24-2022.pdf