When we met with AT last week we made sure they knew of members’ ongoing frustration with changes to work practices and the introduction of new tasks without thorough consultation.

This included the introduction of the Community Paramedic role, and the TOC role in particular, but also how staff in the south were ‘covered’ on the weekends of July 23 and 30 by NEPTS staff who were asked to drive EMS trucks due to a paramedic shortage.

We told them contingency planning was totally inadequate due to lack of transparency of any BCPs, lack of consultation with staff and HACSU, lack of staff training and the lack of a review process – but AT insisted they had robust contingency plans.

They said they do consult and have nothing to hide. We suggested consultation was clearly lacking because people weren’t well-versed in the contingency plans, they had no idea NEPTS staff would have to drive trucks and NEPTS staff had no training in what to do or where equipment is kept in an EMS truck.AT agreed to increase transparency and, hopefully, decision-making consistency in future. We want to be surprised by them making positive changes about engagement.

After the meeting we had a quick discussion about changes to Medi-hotels in Tasmania and for a new NEPTS role to accommodate that. We then emailed AT to raise significant industrial concerns about the content of a proposed EOI but the EOI was published on Friday afternoon anyway. Ya can’t make this up!

HACSU does not agree with this new role as published in the EOI and we have safety concerns. It’s also not a lawful roster under the HAHSA and we fear people may be attracted to apply on the basis of things in the EOI that will likely not be allowed, or similarly will stop people applying for that role.