Hon Louise Kingston questions the Health portfolio regarding the effectiveness of alternative safety measures for paramedics, following a trial of stab-proof vests. The Minister responds that the trial was not state-funded and highlights existing risk assessment tools and committees.

AnsweredQoN 2223Legislative Council
Asked
17 October 2024
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the recent trial of stab-proof vests with body cameras, that Western Australian paramedics undertook, which found that they were very uncomfortable and did little to improve the safety of the paramedics. The organisation decided that conducting risk assessments at jobs and requesting more support from police would be more effective, and I ask: (a) what additional resources have been provided to St Johns to support additional training with regard to risk assessment and de-escalation tactics; (b) how often do paramedics have to wait for police back-up before they can attend to an injured person; and (c) how will the effectiveness of these new safety measures be evaluated?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
26 November 2024
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health
Response time
10 days
(a-c)
This trial was not funded by WA Health and is outside the scope of the State Government’s Ambulance Services Agreement.
St John WA (SJA) has worked with WA Police to develop an on the scene risk assessment tool for paramedics to evaluate risks. SJA also have a Violence and Aggression Sub Committee to ensure risks to staff remain as low as possible.

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