News
23rd February, 2024
National Patient Transport Supervisor Allowance
Appointment to Supervisor List
The Victorian Ambulance Union Incorporated (VAU) have been working with several members and National Patient Transport (NPT) to identify instances where the Attendant Supervisor Allowance has not been paid.
The Attendant Supervisor allowance clause
The new National Patient Transport Pty Ltd Victorian Employees Enterprise Agreement 2023 (the Agreement) contains the following clause:
47. Clinical Instructors and Attendant Supervisors
Ambulance Attendants performing the function of Clinical Instructor, as directed by the Employer will be paid an allowance of $3.10 per hour in addition to their ordinary hourly rate. This allowance is only payable whilst performing these actual; duties and will increase annually accordance with wages.
Ambulance Attendants appointed to the role of Supervisor and rostered to that duty will be paid an allowance of $2.00 per hour whilst performing those duties.
This clause relates to the requirement within the NEPT Regulations for Patient Transport Officers (PTOs) new to industry completing 100 hours of active clinical supervision, and Ambulance Attendants (AA) having completed their Diploma training, doing 400 hours of clinical supervision.
When engaged in these 100 or 400 hours, they are required to be supervised by an Ambulance Attendant or Clinical Instructor. The Supervising Attendant performing this duty is paid an additional $2 per hour on top of ordinary hourly rate as per clause 47.
Appointment to the Supervising Attendant role
Members instructed the VAU they were performing these duties without payment of the allowance. NPT informed them they were not “appointed” to the role as per the Agreement and therefore NPT was not required to pay them nor was there an expectation they were performing supervising duties.
NPT further instructed the VAU that the rostering system did not allow those not “appointed” to the supervisor role (maintained as a list) to be rostered with a PTO or AA who requires clinical supervision during their 100 or 400 hours.
The VAU raised with NPT that there were several situations where AAs have worked alongside AAs and PTOs with less than 400 and 100 hours of clinical practise supervision, and that they have in fact supervised these individuals and competed the appropriate paperwork. The VAU asserted that in doing so these persons were being ‘supervised’ and if they were not, it would be a breach of the Regulations. In that situation, the VAU requested these individuals be back paid as if those employees had been “appointed” to the supervisor role at the time.
NPT have communicated to the VAU that they believe all those affected have been back paid. If this is not the case, please raise a query with your immediate supervisor and payroll. The VAU can assist if there are any issues.
When is the allowance not payable?
During the bargaining process and negotiating the overall package for a new Agreement there was no inclusion of an observer allowance. To clear up some confusion:
- During shifts in which you have a 3rd crew member completing their 80 hours within the PTO course, the allowance is not payable.
- When you are rostered with a new employee for their induction days, who is not undertaking their 100 or 400 hours of clinical supervision e.g. is a PTO or AA with experience previously employed by another company, the allowance is not payable.