News

Over the weekend, two Health and Safety Representatives (HSR), Ward Jongebloed and Jason Learmonth wrote to Ambulance Victoria Operational Communications Department seeking an urgent meeting to discuss serious safety concerns about the misrouting of 000 calls along the Victorian and New South Wales border.

This means NSW Ambulance Service are required to take case details and then manually contact ESTA by dialling 000 to create a new case in ESTA CAD.

This leads to unnecessary duplication and delays in dispatch of an emergency ambulance putting the cross-border community at significant risk of unnecessary delays. This is also a risk in some Victorian towns that don’t have a nearby AV resource.

VAU members working in communication centres have attempted to raise these concerns with AV Management for approximately 12 months and have requested a cross-border plan be developed to ensure a timely cross-border response.

However, given there has been no satisfactory resolution, HSR’s have now had to step in and use their powers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to bring this matter to resolution.

Members are strongly encouraged to report any instances or risk of adverse patient outcomes to the VAU via the report an issue link on the VAU website so it can be provided to our HSR. 

Members will be kept informed.

In Solidarity,