- The company has experience working in an industrial setting.
The majority of the work in an industrial setting is managing illness, health promotion/health prevention (primary health) and safety related functions with a small part of the role emergency response/emergency medicine. While it is critical that emergency medical care can be provided, if the staff member only has skills in this area then they will not be well utilised on site and provide poor value overall.
A lack of experience in the industrial sector can lead to an inability to manage illness and injury onsite increasing medical lost time and lost time claims if patients are routinely transported off site and not managed onsite where possible.
Ambulance service Paramedics provide emergency care in the community and transport patients to care facilities such as hospitals. Their usual duties and practice do not involve many of the requirements of the industrial sector listed below;
- managing strains and sprains
- managing every day health complaints,
- managing workers compensation
- facilitating return to work services
- managing illness and injury onsite and minimising offsite transport
- hydration testing
- drug and alcohol testing
- site safety functions
- training and induction
- The company has systems in place for verifying the competency of a Paramedic to practice and assigns them with an Authority to Practice (scope of work they can safely and competently perform either independently or via consultation with a doctor)
- The company can provide evidence that Paramedic staff undertake a robust and valid continuing professional development program
- The company holds or can obtain a drug licence to possess and administer medications appropriate to their level of training, skill and experience and anticipated site risks.
- The provider should be able to identify how their Paramedics comply with industry and legislated requirements to use the title of Paramedic.
The title of Paramedic is protected in some states meaning it is an offence for someone to use the title if not appropriately trained and credentialed. In these states for staff to use the title of Paramedic they must comply with the training, experience and practice requirements required by law. In states where the title is not protected Paramedics are generally expected to hold a Diploma of Paramedicine or higher.
- The Provider has evidenced based Clinical Practice Guidelines/ Protocols that outline how medical care is to be delivered and the scope of each staff member to perform each level of care e.g. basic life support, advanced life support or intensive care.
- The provider has a company doctor available during all hours of operation to consult for medical advice/opinion and to approve administration of drugs or advanced practice.
- The Provider has a system in place for auditing care, reviewing any adverse outcomes and managing complaints.
- The company has a valid professional indemnity policy in place.
Ask for a copy and make sure that the service description of the cover meets your scope of work. For instance if the policy states the scope as first aid or patient transport services and your Paramedics are working remotely and need to provide advanced care then this should be reflected on the insurance documents. This type of insurance is generally specialised and often in the category of medical negligence insurance rather than a generic professional indemnity policy.
- The Provider has applicable public liability insurance.
Sitemed works with companies to provide oversight services including holding the company drug licence/poisons permit, providing a company doctor, clinical practice guidelines, relief staff and audit health care for company’s wishing to directly employ their own Paramedics.
Many company’s choose to fully outsource healthcare and Sitemed can provide a fully outsourced health and emergency response service if preferred including provision of emergency response vehicles, medical centres, medical equipment, medical consumables and health professional staff.
Call 1300 SITEMED or email info@sitemed.com.au for further information.