News
22nd November, 2022
New MICA Resources and De-Privatisation of NEPT
The Victorian Ambulance Union Incorporated recently attended a press conference with Premier Daniel Andrews to hear election commitments in relation to matters that the VAU has been specifically advocating for over recent months. Specifically MICA and NEPT.
MICA:
The Premier announced that if re-elected they will create a further 40 MICA positions over and above normal MICA recruitment. The purpose of this recruitment is to increase MICA resourcing across Metropolitan and Rural Regions. Work needs to be done to confirm the exact crewing configuration; however the likely outcome will be an additional 10 MICA Peak Period Units across Victoria.
The VAU has already advocated that the PPUs be targeted to allow improvements to MICA rostering
Patient Transport:
The Premier also announced that if re-elected the Government will immediately conduct a review to evaluate the existing procurement arrangements for patient transport ambulances. The review will also assess whether outsourcing remains the most effective model to deliver patient transport services. The review will be chaired by Steve McGhie.
For the VAU, our goal would be to see our private sector members brought back into Ambulance Victoria as one ambulance service with the same uniform, same wages and conditions, safety standards, training, clinical support and vehicles and equipment.
This change will deliver monumental and lasting improvements to the working lives of our NEPT members. It will also provide the ability for more effective referral of low acuity patients so that paramedic crews are able to respond to emergency cases. NEPT crews would be able to refer low acuity patients to alternative pathways, including Virtual ED, RACER, Triage Services or to Paramedic Practitioners. This will reduce the strain on busy emergency departments.
Patient Transport members are likely to have many questions about how this would work. The VAU will organise information sessions to answer questions and allow members to hear concerns.
Please forward any concerns or questions to [email protected].
There is more work to do but we congratulate our Patient Transport members on the major step forward towards workplace equality.
In Solidarity!