Today’s correspondent asks about
… using the title “Paramedic” on a uniform by a visiting paramedic is likely an offence under the National Law.
The proposed situation is a paramedic from outside Australia, is completing an observation shift with the local emergency ambulance service. As such, they bring their local uniform to wear, which has “PARAMEDIC” prominently displayed on it.
The question then is, should steps be taken to inform any patient that the person was not an Australian paramedic, would this be sufficient to not be holding oneself out to be a paramedic?
For example, introductions could be made clearly indicating “Adam is a overseas paramedic and is shadowing us today”.
We also considered that the uniform may indicate in some way another country/ region (for instance have London Ambulance on it) and whether this would be a deciding factor.
But we were then unclear whether this would be sufficient to not be using the title or holding oneself out to be a registered paramedic in Australia, given the context of an emergency ambulance call.
The relevant provision in the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Qld) (which I use as the exemplar as my correspondent has not identified what state or territory they are writing from, and the Queensland Act is meant to be the model adopted in other states) says, at s 113
(1) A person must not knowingly or recklessly—
(a) take or use a title in the Table to this section, in a way that could be reasonably expected to induce a belief the person is registered under this Law in the health profession listed beside the title in the Table, unless the person is registered in the profession, or
The term ‘paramedic’ is in the table. But could the use of the title ‘could be reasonably expected to induce a belief the person is registered under this Law’? I would think if they are wearing their foreign uniform then it would not suggest that they are registered in Australia and there would be no offence.
Introducing the ‘ride along’ would help but would also be polite and consistent with the Code of Conduct of working with patients and making sure the patients understand why this person is in the ambulance with them.
Conclusion
I would think if the person was wearing an international uniform that would be sufficient to remove any suggestion that the term ‘paramedic’ on their uniform implied they were registered under Australian law.
This blog is made possible with generous financial support from the Australasian College of Paramedicine, the Australian Paramedics Association (NSW), Natural Hazards Research Australia, NSW Rural Fire Service Association and the NSW SES Volunteers Association. I am responsible for the content in this post including any errors or omissions. Any opinions expressed are mine, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or understanding of the donors.
Australian Emergency Law 
Great response to the post Michael, as you put it in this context would be quite self explanatory as to the role of the individual in a foreign paramedic uniform in an organised medical setting. In reflection as an international paramedic myself I recall how from the start of my career in South Africa we regularly had foreign medical professionals including paramedics accompanying us on shifts. Ironically whilst we had registration from very early in 1992 our visiting colleagues from Australia were not registered. Never had an issue what so ever. I would think being skilled to render unremunerated assistance in an emergency outside ones jurisdiction may also be seen as reasonable and appreciated. After all who has not been on a holiday and stepped in to help/?