The state government of Victoria, Australia, has put forward a bill to allow qualified paramedics to deliver care to patients on-site.
The Paramedic Practitioners Bill 2024 has been introduced into Parliament and aims to alleviate the strain on the state's ambulance services and emergency departments.
It empowers paramedics who meet certain criteria to independently diagnose, assess and treat a variety of conditions directly on-site without the need for hospital transfers.
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said: “This is a big deal: the first paramedics in Australia who can deliver advanced on-the-spot care and prescribe medicines – saving many Victorians a trip to hospital.”
The creation of the specialised Paramedic Practitioner role will give graduates the authority to handle and administer scheduled medicines, as well as prescribe them immediately to patients.
A group of 30 paramedics is currently enrolled in the master's degree programme for Paramedic Practitioners at Monash University, with the next cohort scheduled to start their training next year.
This educational initiative has been created in collaboration with Ambulance Victoria, Safer Care Victoria, healthcare professionals and union representatives.
The initial 30 students are expected to begin serving in regional Victoria by 2026.
After completing their studies, these Paramedic Practitioners will be qualified to treat a range of conditions that frequently result in hospital visits.
Their scope of practice will include urinary catheter care, wound management, minor infections, and the treatment of dislocations and fractures.
The 2023/24 Victorian Budget has allocated $20m for creating the Paramedic Practitioner position, while the government is also committing resources to train 40 new Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics.
Victoria Ambulance Services Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said: “We listen to our workforce who told us Australia’s first Paramedic Practitioners will make a huge difference – they’ll have advanced skills that will help people right across regional Victoria.”
