Latest news with #GaryWilson
News.com.au
10-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Paramedics union claims new mental health trial will put ‘crucial' specialists at risk
Some of NSW's most specialist paramedics have launched workplace action as the paramedics union seeks to challenge the rollout of a new mental health unit trial they claim will put staff safety at risk. Paramedics have vowed not to support the Mental Health Co-Response Team (MHRCT) trial which is due to commence on May 12, including the reallocation of resources or participating in training. The Australian Paramedics Association of NSW says the MHRCT would redirect Specialised Operations Paramedics away from critical rescue and high-risk responses to 'staff an untested model'. 'Our patients in need of mental healthcare deserve better than being treated as an afterthought. They deserve permanent, evidence-based solutions,' APA NSW Assistant Secretary Gary Wilson said. 'This action is about safety. The safety of paramedics, of our nursing colleagues, and our patients. These safety risks have been raised on an ongoing basis with representatives of the employer since February.' Mr Wilson said only a handful of paramedics were trained as Specialised Operations Paramedics, and that it was 'crucial they are available when their specialist skills are required like Bondi' stabbing. 'If our extremely limited SOT resources are used to cover for (NSW) Health's failure to provide appropriate mental health services rather than treated as the scarce, highly specialised essential resources they are safety will continue to be compromised,' he said. 'Will SOT be available the next time a patient trapped in a fire zone needs medical assistance, or will the assistance for members of the community again depend on our road paramedics selflessly entering a situation they are untrained for, putting themselves at risk in the process. 'This should never be a choice they have to make.' The union has called on NSW Ambulance to cease plans to use SOT paramedics for the trial, and instead expand upon the 'highly successful, evidence-based Mental Health Acute Assessment Team model'. The APA said they had also requested for the dispute to be urgently listed at the Industrial Relations Commission. It is due to be heard on May 12. In a statement, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson said the safety of clinicians, patients, and the community was the 'top priority', and that the paramedics would remain available for incidents requiring specialist expertise. 'The Mental Health Clinician Response Team (MHCRT) trial involves NSW Ambulance Special Operations Team (SOT) paramedics working with NSW Health mental health nurses hosted by Western Sydney Local Health District,' the spokesman said. 'The trial aims to improve the experience for mental health patients by providing a rapid response, assessment and referral to the most appropriate mental health pathway, and by reducing emergency department presentations. 'NSW Ambulance assures the community that SOT qualified paramedics will remain available for incidents that require their specialist skills.' The spokesman said the 12-week trial would allow SOT paramedics to 'leverage their unique skills to treat and assess mental health patients in collaboration with the specialist nurses'. 'In the event the unit is dispatched to a non-mental health emergency incident, the mental health nurse would not be required to provide health care outside their scope of practice,' the spokesman said. 'During the consultation period, an assessment of risks and control measures regarding MHCRT was undertaken and shared with the Australian Paramedics Association (APA) and other stakeholders.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Paramedics claim supporting a controversial new trial will put crucial specialists at risk
NSW paramedics have refused to take part in a pilot initiative aimed at offering a 'rapid response' for mental health patients. The action has been launched by the NSW Ambulance's Mental Health Clinician Responder Team (MHCRT). The unit will be formed of specialist paramedics alongside a specialist mental health nurse to respond promptly to patients' needs and lower hospital wait times. But the Australian Paramedics Association of NSW has accused the trial of putting medics, nurses and patients at risk, and members are banned from taking part in the initiative. 'Our patients in need of mental healthcare deserve better than being treated as an afterthought,' paramedic and the union's assistant secretary Gary Wilson said. 'This action is about safety. These safety risks have been raised on an ongoing basis with representatives of the employer since February. 'To date their response to these concerns has been little more than "computer says no".' Mr Wilson said the service only had a handful of trained specialist operations paramedics (SOT) who must be available when required. NSW Ambulance has announced a pilot which will combine specialist paramedics and mental health units to offer a 'rapid response' to patients 'If our extremely limited SOT resources are used to cover for (NSW) Health's failure to provide appropriate mental health services rather than treated as the scarce, highly specialised essential resources they are safety will continue to be compromised,' he said. NSW paramedics said on Wednesday they would refuse any action implementing the MHCRT program, including relocating resources or participating in training. The union also called for NSW Ambulance to stop plans that use 'scarcely resourced special operations paramedic teams' for a trial of mental health carers. Instead, it urged for the expansion of the Mental Health Acute Assessment Team model. A NSW Ambulance spokesperson told that the safety of clinicians, patients, and the community was the 'top priority'. 'NSW Ambulance assures the community that SOT qualified paramedics will remain available for incidents that require their specialist skills,' the spokesperson said. 'The MHCRT trial involves NSW Ambulance SOT paramedics working with NSW Health mental health nurses hosted by Western Sydney Local Health District.' They said the trial could improve mental health patients' experiences through rapid responses, assessments and referrals to the most appropriate mental health pathway. It could also reduce waiting times at emergency departments. The spokesperson said that, during the consultation period, risks and control measures were undertaken and shared with the union and other stakeholders. But the union has requested for the matter to be urgently listed at the Industrial Relations Commission, which is due to be heard on Monday. NSW Ambulance said it was committed to continue discussions during the commission session.
Perth Now
09-05-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Ambos fight mental health care unit
Some of NSW's most specialist paramedics have launched workplace action as the paramedics union seeks to challenge the rollout of a new mental health unit trial they claim will put staff safety at risk. Paramedics have vowed not to support the Mental Health Co-Response Team (MHRCT) trial which is due to commence on May 12, including the reallocation of resources or participating in training. The Australian Paramedics Association of NSW says the MHRCT would redirect Specialised Operations Paramedics away from critical rescue and high-risk responses to 'staff an untested model'. 'Our patients in need of mental healthcare deserve better than being treated as an afterthought. They deserve permanent, evidence-based solutions,' APA NSW Assistant Secretary Gary Wilson said. 'This action is about safety. The safety of paramedics, of our nursing colleagues, and our patients. These safety risks have been raised on an ongoing basis with representatives of the employer since February.' Mr Wilson said only a handful of paramedics were trained as Specialised Operations Paramedics, and that it was 'crucial they are available when their specialist skills are required like Bondi' stabbing. 'If our extremely limited SOT resources are used to cover for (NSW) Health's failure to provide appropriate mental health services rather than treated as the scarce, highly specialised essential resources they are safety will continue to be compromised,' he said. The 12-week trial is due to begin on May 12. NewsWire/ Tim Pascoe Credit: News Corp Australia 'Will SOT be available the next time a patient trapped in a fire zone needs medical assistance, or will the assistance for members of the community again depend on our road paramedics selflessly entering a situation they are untrained for, putting themselves at risk in the process. 'This should never be a choice they have to make.' The union has called on NSW Ambulance to cease plans to use SOT paramedics for the trial, and instead expand upon the 'highly successful, evidence-based Mental Health Acute Assessment Team model'. The APA said they had also requested for the dispute to be urgently listed at the Industrial Relations Commission. It is due to be heard on May 12. In a statement, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson said the safety of clinicians, patients, and the community was the 'top priority', and that the paramedics would remain available for incidents requiring specialist expertise. 'The Mental Health Clinician Response Team (MHCRT) trial involves NSW Ambulance Special Operations Team (SOT) paramedics working with NSW Health mental health nurses hosted by Western Sydney Local Health District,' the spokesman said. 'The trial aims to improve the experience for mental health patients by providing a rapid response, assessment and referral to the most appropriate mental health pathway, and by reducing emergency department presentations. 'NSW Ambulance assures the community that SOT qualified paramedics will remain available for incidents that require their specialist skills.' The spokesman said the 12-week trial would allow SOT paramedics to 'leverage their unique skills to treat and assess mental health patients in collaboration with the specialist nurses'. 'In the event the unit is dispatched to a non-mental health emergency incident, the mental health nurse would not be required to provide health care outside their scope of practice,' the spokesman said. 'During the consultation period, an assessment of risks and control measures regarding MHCRT was undertaken and shared with the Australian Paramedics Association (APA) and other stakeholders. 'NSW Ambulance is committed to continue these discussions in the Industrial Relations Commission early next week.'
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
EasyJet opens 10th UK base at London Southend Airport
EasyJet has opened a new three-aircraft base at London Southend will run 122 flights per week across 20 routes, creating 140 new jobs in the the airline resumed flights following the Covid-19 pandemic in May 2022, this move means that EasyJet aircraft will remain at Southend permanently. Company CEO Gary Wilson said that the base will help the airline "serve many more customers, providing value and more choice", adding that it "supports critical connectivity and jobs for the UK". The airline is taking passengers to 13 new destinations from Southend this year, including Gran Canaria and Reus in Spain. EasyJet was forced to withdraw from London Southend Airport in August 2020 due to the Covid-19 was the airport's largest passenger airline at the time, carrying about half of all customers passing through its gates, but the pandemic lockdowns saw a 90% reduction in passenger and Wizz Air also pulled out of Southend, meaning that for a time passenger flights ceased disruption and subsequent financial losses led to owner Esken selling an 82.5% stake in the business to US private equity firm Carlyle in March 122 weekly flights represent a 133% increase from last summer, with new routes spanning Europe and North Africa. London Southend Airport CEO John Upton previously said that the base "is indicative of the demand from people in the east of London, Essex and the wider East Anglia". Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
