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« on: October 21, 2012, 10:13:38 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.”