Ambulance officers upset about changes

Press, 1 November 1985, Page 5

Ambulance officers upset about changes

Ambulance officers are angry and dismayed by changes to their national training system announced recently by the Minister of Health, Dr Bassett.

Two changes in particular had been upsetting, said the regional chairman of the Institute of Ambulance Officers, Mr John Spencer. These were to make training for new entrant and volunteer ambulance officers correspondencebased and to put ambulance training under the Auckland Technical Institute’s nursing department. The changes were announced at the institute’s national seminar held in Christchurch at Labour Day week-end in an address given by the member of Parliament for Yaldhurst, Mrs Margaret Austin. The institute’s retiring president, Mr Gary Salmon, said the decision to put' ambulance training under the nursing department was regarded as “the ultimate insult.”

“This decision is contrary to the Minister’s stated intention that the ambulance

service must remain: a separately identifiable profession within the health care system,” he said. The 120 delegates to the seminar unanimously resolved that the institute seek an urgent meeting with Dr Bassett to discuss the proposed changes and to register strong protest about the lack of information on the future development of the service. “There is widespread feeling that we are being dripfed (with information) by the Health Department, said Mr Salmon. “This is resulting in a considerable-air of unease and a denigration of morale among ambulance officers throughout New Zealand.

“Our institute believes it has a responsibility not only to its members, but also to the community at large to bring these matters to the attention of the Minister,” said Mr Salmon.

Mr Spencer said that under the present training system, everyone did the same six-week course, the same training, and sat the same examinations.

It would be impossible to give officers practical experience by correspondence, he said. ‘

“How is someone going to learn about emergency childbirth by coirespondence? Rural volunteer officers studying by correspondence would have no library or school to go to for information,” said Mr Spencer.

The institute had no conflict with nurses, but, like all organisations, would like its own people in charge of training. A nurse at the seminar had made this point, he said.

Dr Bassett’s assertion that opposition to the changes had been “orchestrated by those closer to the training system and had originated from a similar geographical area” had particularly annoyed delegates.

Steps were now under way to arrange a meeting with Dr Bassett. If that failed, the institute would go back to its members to see what further action they wanted to take, Mr Spencer said.