The Board states that it
is required to develop codes and guidelines for the profession to make professional standards clear, so they can deliver appropriate, safe and effective services within an ethical framework.
These interim professional standards are based on a multi-professional approach to health practitioner regulation revised in 2014, which will provide for the effective regulation of the profession under the National Law.
The four interim professional standards for paramedicine which take effect today are the:
- Code of conduct
- Guidelines for advertising regulated health services
- Guidelines for mandatory notifications, and
- Social media policy.
The Board is currently engaged in a multi-professional review of these professional standards to ensure they are relevant, contemporary and effective.
The revised versions will be released for public consultation in the coming months.
The Board urges all paramedics to familiarise themselves with this guidance to ensure their practice is in line with professional standards when paramedicine becoming regulated under the National Scheme in late 2018.The Board states
From late 2018, paramedics must be registered with the Paramedicine Board of Australia (the Board) and meet the Board’s registration standards in order to practise in Australia.
Registration standards
There are five mandatory registration standards which the Board will be developing and consulting on. These are:
- continuing professional development
- criminal history
- English language skills
- professional indemnity insurance arrangements, and
- recency of practice.
In addition, the Board has also released a time-limited grandparenting registration standard, which temporarily provides a path to registration for current paramedics who don’t have an approved or accepted qualification, but can demonstrate their competency via other training, qualification and/or experience.
These registration standards were approved by the Ministerial Council on 13 April 2018.
Codes and guidelines
The Board will also develop, or use the existing multi-profession codes, guidelines and policies to provide guidance to the profession.
These will include:
- guidelines for mandatory notifications
- code of conduct
- guidelines for advertising regulated health services, and
- social media policy.
