Professional Indemnity
Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) is a requirement for all paramedics to maintain registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Currently, all VAU members in the Paramedic membership category are provided with free access to the VAU PII scheme.
The VAU has recently negotiated an improved Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) scheme for VAU members. The updated scheme has the following provisions:
- Limit Any One Claim: $20,000,000
- Limit Any One Period of Insurance: $80,000,000
- Deductible/Excess (each and every claim): Nil
- Retroactive Date: 1st November 2018
- Improved protection when rendering first aid and assistance in an obstetric emergency.
- Coverage for past members.
In addition, the VAU is aware that we have a number of members who work as an ACO, PTO or ATA or for TZV who have completed their paramedic degree, have become registered as a Paramedic with AHPRA, and are awaiting employment as a paramedic.
Up until now, only members who in the Paramedic membership category have been able to access the VAU PII. Members who are not in the paramedic membership category have needed to source their own PII externally at significant cost if they make the decision to register as a paramedic with AHPRA before being employed as a paramedic.
From today, any member of any category can access VAU PII, provided you are enrolled in the correct membership classification relevant to your employment.
If you make the decision to register as a paramedic, regardless of whether you are employed as a paramedic, the VAU PII scheme can be used for the purposes of AHPRA registration.
VAU members can download the certificate of currency on the VAU member portal and in the event of an audit, can download a letter that provides evidence of your membership over the course of the year.
Industrial and AHPRA representation
It is important to be aware that most assistance the union provides to members in matters relating to your professional registration or responding to AHPRA notifications is provided by the VAU legal team. We have provided advice and assistance to approximately fifteen members in the past year in AHPRA related matters which typically run in parallel with separate investigations and processes run by the employer.
Industrial representation and support are only provided where members are enrolled in the correct membership classification relevant to your employment.
For example, a member decides they want to register as a paramedic with AHPRA and need PII. The member is:
- working as a Patient Transport Officer (PTO) with an NEPT company, and
- is enrolled as a PTO member with the VAU;
this member can now access the VAU PII for their AHPRA registration.
If the member then becomes employed as a paramedic, they must upgrade their membership to the paramedic category in order to receive the relevant industrial and legal support.
If the member is:
- working as a Paramedic with AV, and
- remains enrolled as a PTO member with the VAU;
The VAU reserves the right to withhold industrial and legal services in the event of an AHPRA investigation or PSBD matter.