A NSW correspondent asks this timely question:
… in relation to the Health Services Amendment (Paramedics) Bill 2015 which comes into force at the start of next month. The bill states that:
For the purposes of this section, a paramedic is:
(a) a person who holds qualifications, or who has received training, or who has experience, prescribed by the regulations, or
My question to you is what are these qualifications, training or experience; and which regulations is the bill referring to? Also if one was to call themselves a ‘medic’, excluding the ‘para’, would this be a breach of this legislation?
As noted earlier, (see Protecting the title of paramedic in NSW (June 3, 2015)) the NSW Parliament passed the Health Services Amendment (Paramedics) Bill 2015 to protect the title of paramedic. As my correspondent has noted this wil come into force on 1 February. At that time the Health Services Amendment (Paramedic Qualifications) Regulation 2015 (NSW) will also come into force. That Bill defines the qualifications required to use the title ‘paramedic’. The Regulation says:
The following qualifications are prescribed for the purposes of section 67ZDA (2) (a) of the Act:
(a) a Bachelor of Paramedicine or a Graduate Diploma of Paramedicine conferred by a university,
(b) a nationally-recognised Diploma of Paramedicine issued by a registered training organisation.
Further
Paramedicine includes Clinical Practice (Paramedic), Emergency Health (Paramedic), Health Science (majoring in Paramedicine), Paramedic Practice, Paramedic Science and Science (majoring in Paramedicine).
Remember also that a person can use the title ‘paramedic’ if they are an employee of the Ambulance Service of NSW and are authorised by the Health Secretary to use that title (s 67ZDA(2)(c)).
Section 67ADA says ‘A person who is not a paramedic must not, in any way, hold himself or herself out to be a paramedic’. Who or what is a paramedic is not defined except by the qualifications or employment status that the person holds. Calling yourself a ‘medic’ would not contravene the Act if you clearly distinguished it from a ‘paramedic’. I would think many people would think a ‘medic’ is a doctor but I also understand that the term is used differently, for example in the ADF. The issue is however ‘holding’ oneself out not just the title. If you claimed to be a medic but said ‘I’m a medic, not a ‘paramedic’ but I can still do all the same stuff’ that might still be holding oneself ‘out’ as a paramedic.
Again this is an issue that could well be helped with national registration. A paramedic would be nationally registered, you could call yourself a ‘medic’ and everyone would know that this was not the same as a registered paramedic.
Australian Emergency Law 
Further to this then, will St John Ambulance (in states and territories where they are not providing the ambulance service) be able to use the title paramedic were those members hold the relevant qualification?
George, this law only applies in NSW but it certainly means that a St John volunteer who holds one of the listed qualifications can use the title ‘paramedic’ whereas a member who does not, cannot use that title.
Makes perfect sense. Thank you Michael.
Hi Michael, I am starting a Bachelor of Paramedicine this year in Sydney, would this mean I am unable to introduce myself as a “Student Paramedic”? Thank you.
John, it will all depend on context. What you are not allowed to do is ‘hold [your]self … out to be a paramedic’. If you answer the question ‘and what do you do?’ with ‘I’m a student paramedic’ then you are not holding yourself out as a paramedic just as a law student or medical student or nursing student is not pretending or claiming to be a lawyer, doctor or nurse. But the context could change – it would be different I think if you had business cards that listed your occupation as “Paramedic (student)” – that’s not nearly so clear. Equally if you got a job with an event first aid service I think you would be running a legal risk if you had a uniform that said ‘Student Paramedic’ or ‘Paramedic – Trainee’ because a person seeking your assistance is unlikely to be able to identify that such a badge means you are not a paramedic. You’re in uniform, offering to provide medical assistance, it’s got the word ‘paramedic’ on the uniform just as others might say ‘Advanced Life Support Paramedic’ or ‘Intensive Care Paramedic’. Asking people at the time when they’re asking for assistance to make the distinction that those other people are paramedics, albeit with different skill sets, but you are not yet a paramedic, might be unreasonable. You might also run into trouble if you turn up at an accident and say ‘stand aside, I’m a student paramedic’ (or worse, ‘I’m a paramedic student’ because people might not hear the qualification ‘student’). The Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) says the ‘good Samaritan’ provisions do not apply ‘while the person is impersonating a health care or emergency services worker … or is otherwise falsely representing that the person has skills or expertise in connection with the rendering of emergency assistance’. You may not be doing any of those things but you can see that you’re inviting an argument much more than if you say ‘Hi can I help?’ or even ‘I’m a first aider’ (assuming you have a first aid certificate). But if you are talking about introducing yourself at a social scene then ‘Student Paramedic’ is no problem.
John, I hear talk that all Diploma and Graduate Diploma Paramedics will need to be Degree qualified if they wish to continue working as a paramedic in NSW? Is this your understanding?
Warren
First, that’s got to be ‘just talk’ because the paramedic board hasn’t yet been appointed and they will make the relevant calls. Second, it is a requirement for NSW coming on board that diploma’s offered by NSW Ambulance will be accepted as sufficient qualification for registration.