Tuesday, the 9th August 2005 was a significant milestone in the development of pre-hospital emergency care for people in Ireland. On that day Minister Sean Power, ID. signed into law the amendment to the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control) Regulations 2003. This amendment empowers Advanced Paramedics who are on the PHECC Register to administer sixteen different medications. On the 5th of September 2005 the Advanced Paramedic Division of the PHECC Register was activated. The combined effect of these two changes has paved the way for the these two changes has paved the way for the conduct of the field internship by the first Irish trained cohort of Advanced Paramedics. This will see the initial Advanced Paramedic course being completed before the end of the year.
National Consultation
Between May and August this year PHECC conducted a consultation exercise which saw 35 separate ambulance bases/stations being visited in order to promote the professionalisation agenda and ascertain views of the profession with respect to formal professionalisation. This consultation culminated with a presentation to SIPTU in September in Mullingar.
Feedback
The whole consultation process was a very valuable exercise which resulted in essential feedback and input into the professionalisation initiative. In general the consultation sessions at the various base/stations were well attended. The debate at all times was open and free and indeed some of it spirited. The introduction of a professional register for pre-hospital emergency care practitioners is a sign ificant initiative which is linked to change and with change there is always concern. (Continued in next column...)
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(Continued...) Indeed the concerns that were raised have contributed greatly towards the whole debate on professionalisation.
New Code
As a result of the feedback changes have been made, both to the memberships of the committees and the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics. A final Code of Professional Conduct and Eth ics as well as a selection of the comments that were written on the feedback cards are also included in this newsletter. You will see that the comments that were made vary from very positive to highly sceptical. The graphs/bar charts contained in this newsletter break into regions the satisfaction levels expressed with the overall concepts as submitted on the feedback cards. In addition to this there is a FAQ section which shou ld hope to go someway towards addressing and clarifying the most common concerns of practitioners. Council have now also agreed a membership fee of €10 per annum.
Rollout
The stage is now set and all the elements are in place to continue with the roll-out of the PHECC Register. November wi ll see this commence and PHECC will be writing to all pre-hospital emergency care practitioners employed in statutory ambulance services inviting them to apply to join the PHECC Register. PHECC wi ll be attending and participating in the MP Conference in Galway in November. In addition to a formal presentation on Professionalism as part of the conference agenda, PHECC will also have an information stand which will answer queries and give further information with respect to joining the Statutory Register for pre-hospital emergency care practitioners.
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