Statement by Ambulance Victoria

As part of our report on mental illness and suicide amongst paramedics, we approached
Ambulance Victoria for comment on some of the issues raised by the people we spoke to. Tony
Walker, General Manager Regional Services, sent us the following statement. We also asked
Tony some specific questions, weve published his answers below the statement.

The work our paramedics do can be stressful so we take their physical, emotional and
psychological well-being very seriously and actively offer ways to assist them.

We have a very well developed and effective Peer Support program, and a longstanding
confidential psychological counselling unit that are available to all Ambulance Victoria staff and
immediate family members 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are also supported by our
Chaplaincy service.

Our Peer Support and counselling programs are proactive in identifying and responding to
critical incidents and are also available for any staff member seeking counselling, regardless of
reason.

The programs are highly regarded within the emergency services industry and we have worked
with interstate and international ambulance services to assist them in establishing similar
functions.

Last year Peer Support paramedics made in excess of 8000 contacts with their colleagues to
ensure that they were OK following a potentially traumatic or difficult case.

In addition to the ongoing confidential counselling support provided by the Victorian Ambulance
Counselling Unit (VACU), staff are encouraged to meet with a psychologist at least once a year
to be assessed for depression, anxiety, stress and burnout.

Participation in this program is entirely voluntary and includes developing personalised
strategies to improve psychological wellbeing and manage any symptoms identified.

We acknowledge and encourage discussion on topics of psychological health and wellbeing
but are mindful that media coverage can have a detrimental effect on those at risk. We
encourage anyone needing support to contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Do the medical records of paramedics have any bearing on employment prospects at
Ambulance Victoria?

Ambulance Victoria has a highly respected and strictly confidential counselling service
available to our staff involving experienced psychologists operating at arms length from the
organisation.
AV does not have access to the treatment records of staff utilising this service and all decisions
regarding recruitment and promotion are based solely on merit in accordance with public sector
guidelines.

I personally use this service and have absolute faith in the confidentiality provisions in place
and that using it would in no way impact on career prospects.

Does Ambulance Victoria believe that the suicide rate amongst its paramedics is a cause
for concern?

Its a tragedy whenever anyone in our community takes their own life. The effect it has on their
family, friends and colleagues is devastating. Our sympathies and thoughts remain with them.

AV recognises the challenging environment that our paramedics operate in and take the health
of our staff very seriously.

As well as the well-established and high quality support offered through psychological
counselling, Peer Support program and Chaplaincy service, we have implemented a
confidential, preventative, early intervention program available to all staff statewide.

Is the availability of powerful drugs by individual paramedics a cause for concern?

Paramedics, like all health professionals, require access to medications to be able to provide
care to the community. These medications are tightly controlled through a combination of
electronic security access, electronically controlled safes, medication utilisation review,
structured checks and audits.

All the paramedics we spoke to said that the shifts are way too long, that fatigue and
exhaustion are inevitable, and that sometimes a 14 hour night shift can extend into 18 or
19 hours. Does Ambulance Victoria have any comment on this?

Ambulance Victoria understands the risk of fatigue in the challenging environment that
emergency services operate in. We support and manage fatigue for our staff in a variety of
ways including education, policies and procedures relating to end of shift strategies, minimum
rest breaks between shifts, meal break management, and opportunities for paramedics to take
fatigue breaks.

We have also commenced a research project to explore potential roster options that meet our
service delivery while allowing for a reduction in shift length.