NEW DEPUTY HAS OCEANS OF EXPERIENCE
FOR the first time in its history, the Queensland Ambulance Service has appointed a Deputy Commissioner for the North.
In a move set to bolster paramedics working in North Queensland, the
QAS has created the position, based in Townsville, to “align and strengthen service delivery,” in regional and remote areas.
And they’ve given the task to a man with a wealth of knowledge and decades of experience as a paramedic, to help steer the ship until a permanent deputy will be named.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Gerard Lawler has been in ambulance work for more than 40 years, starting in Tasmania, before venturing to Queensland in 1992.
“The QAS has been built into a modern and clinically focused service, the care provided across Queensland is second to none,” he said.
“The focus of this job is to continue that focus on parts of Queensland that are remote and rural … it’s nice to have someone in the North who’s able work with the team that I’ve got here … and compliment them and being a voice, from a policy viewpoint.
“I want to build on, when the opportunity provides itself, for those dual degree (nursing and paramedicine) folk to be available to look at more prevention in those remote and rural areas.
“It’s dealing with problems before they occur and looking after them as best we can in their local environment.”
Mr Lawler said the health system in Queensland had undergone significant changes in recent years.
“The QAS has routinely evolved our service delivery to ensure we are best placed to assist in a patient’s darkest hour.
“This Deputy Commissioner position is essential in ensuring the QAS remains agile and innovative in meeting the needs of the community and staying in front of the challenges impacting the health system.”