Ambos get sick of abuse

PARAMEDICS in full time equivalent roles in Townsville are quitting their jobs at a higher rate than any other region in Queensland.

The clinical attrition rate for paramedics in Townsville is 5.4 per cent, according to Queensland Ambulance Service public performance indicators for the financial year to March 2018.

The attrition rate is calculated as the number of full time equivalent employees in operational roles who leave QAS as a proportion to the total number of employees.

QAS Assistant Commissioner Robbie Medlin said there had been a number of people in the Townsville region who had resigned from permanent roles to become casual.

“We’ve also had some of our staff take up positions at Central Queensland University, James Cook University and the Townsville Hospital,” he said. “Others have returned to the army, a couple of medical retirements, people moving interstate and a few people have retired as well.”

Townsville was ranked second worst on the “crew safety index,” which is based on the rate of physical and verbal abuse directed at paramedics per 100,000 hours worked.

With an index of 11.9, Townsville was ranked behind only the north

OUR PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO COME TO WORK AND GO HOME SAFE. WE’RE THERE TO CARE FOR PEOPLE BUT IF WE CAN’T BECAUSE THERE’S VERBAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE ULTIMATELY THAT PUTS THE PATIENT’S CONDITION IN JEOPARDY QAS ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER ROBBIE MEDLIN

west region for abuse against QAS staff.

Mr Medlin said he was disappointed by the high rate of abuse but encouraged staff to always report incidents.

“We do have the second highest rate and highest of the densely populate areas, but we want our staff to report any occupational violence and support them wholeheartedly,” he said.

Mr Medlin said there was no excuse for abuse against emergency staff. “Our people have the right to come to work and go home safe. We’re there to care for people, but if we can’t because there’s verbal or physical abuse ultimately that puts the patient’s condition in jeopardy.”

The indicators showed 81.9 per cent of cardiac patients and 87 per cent of trauma patients received clinically meaningful pain reduction from paramedics, which was slightly below the statewide averages of 84.6 per cent and 89.4 per cent respectively.

Mr Medlin said it was encouraging to see paramedics were using their “full suite of clinical skills” to assist patients. “Our response times are in the data, our most urgent jobs we are getting to very quickly … those are incidents such as heart attacks and motor vehicle accidents,” he said.

Mr Medlin said the level of trust and confidence in paramedics who worked across a large area was appreciated.