Hi there, fellow ambo's.
How many times can we be shafted? Ripped off pay wise, ripped off workload wise, under-staffed, over-worked, treated like shit in general by management, not looked after by the State Government, not to mention a piss-weak union.
A few of us have put together this site to allow real ambos to have their say, unfiltered by bosses, governments or union reps. You can have your say, too, in the comments. Join in; we really want to hear from you (even if you disagree with what we say). You can also contact us at realambo.gmail.com.
Save the address http://realambo.blogspot.com/ in your bookmarks.
5,605 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 1201 – 1400 of 5605 Newer› Newest»Anonymous,
Re: News just out,
I think I may have missed something.
Do you know what effect this will have on sub-branches etc. Does this mean we get rid of those scumbags looking after themselves at the expense of others?
I havn't seen any documentation yet, can someone let me know what it all means.
SPIDER
Dennis.R. is still coming across like a dickhead.
I hate to tell you "I told you so" however, yep a dickhead.
Before i go out to vote ...
Which box do i tick to keep Mr Williamson in power ? ...
Mate, just ask your nearest HSU rep, he will know for sure... hell, he will probably be running the labour booth !
Spider,
sorry been busy for a while, re.your comment @ 8:29am yesterday,
I know you are but what am I.
nyah nyah
Greg R.
Greg R,
Very good, you got me with that one you little sausage.
Does anyone know what happened at therecent JCC, re: changes to representation from HSU, or if in fact that is the case.
SPIDER
No wonder we can't get what we want. We can't agree on the smallest things, so the big shit like a welfare system for Ambos and pay disputes are never going to get fixed. Wake up! THEY love the fact that there is so much division. Lets have a survey where we enter what we want, not what they want to hear for their KPI's and other shit to justify their positions.
THE HSU must be diversifying they do offer cheap loans, holiday villas, movie tickets etc etc.....
Spider:
Re: It is ironic how NSW Ambo's are paid less than WA Ambo's yet NSW have more skill.
Did you also know every level in the service is about to get maggil forceps. Roll out next year.
Because of the precedence HSU set when they accepted the P1 upgrade without getting any renumeration for officers, the service can now give you more drugs and skills and not have to worry about paying you for it. Thanks again HSU
A P1 does as much as a Level 4 ever did, but at least a level 4 gets an allowance.
WELL YOU DO HAVE TO BE TRAINED/CERTIFIED TO USE THEM, DON'T YOU?
SHOULDN'T BE TOO HARD TO FAIL THE TEST AND SUDDENLY GET SMART AGAIN WHEN THEY WAVE A $20 BILL UNDER YOUR NOSE EACH WEEK, NOW IS IT?
I'M JUST WATCHING THE ELECTION RESULTS AND I HAVE A QUESTION FOR EVERY/ANYBODY:
IF LABOUR PROMISES A WORKERS PARADISE AND ALL THE UNIONS FALL OVER BACKWARDS SUCKHOLING AND SMOTHERING THEM WITH FUNDS, THEN WHY, WHEN THEY GET VOTED IN WE DON'T GET ANYTHING EVEN NEAR WHAT WE NEEDED AND THE UNIONS DONT GIVE A SHIT.
WHY FUCKING BOTHER, THEY REALLY ARE AN IRRELEVANCE THESE UNIONS, NO WONDER THERE ARE ONLY 1 IN 5 STILL BOTHERED.
BUT IF WHAT WAS SAID AT THE JCC IS TRUE AND HSU WONT COVER US FOR LEGAL COSTS, THEN WHY BOTHER PAYING SUBS AT ALL.
WORKCOVER PAYS FOR YOUR LAWYER ANYWAY, USE SOMEONE SMART AND EXPENSIVE. KEEP HIS NAME FOR LATER WHEN THE COMPANY TRIES TO SACK YOU AND HSU SITS ON IT'S HANDS AND WATCHES YOU GET HUNG OUT TO DRY.
BETTER TO GIVE OUR $21 TO DEAR LITTLE GREG AS A BRIBE TO GET HIM OFF OUT BACKS
Labour Voter (Not),
There are a number of younger, confident and more educated ambos coming into the service. I don’t think they need to be told more than once that it is dumb to be in the same union as your boss…..don’t get me started. I think a number of them believe they have the power to be able to represent their own interests and piss HSU off. Thus all this resentment towards HSU at the moment. Not only do they not want to hand over the responsibility for their pay and conditions to HSU, they don't see the need to pay for it either.
Unfortunately is we could ever sack HSU we wouldn’t have the ability to negotiate or collectively bargain award conditions etc.. So what’s the answer? Bribe Greg? I don’t think he is that sort of guy. Most things as you say are covered by Workcover. There is also a vast number of legal begals that work Pro Bono.
Can we piss HSU without losing our current conditions? Doubt it. Would it be easy to piss HSU off. Doubt it. Do I think ambos will ever be in control of their own destinies. Doubt it.
At this stage I can’t see any answers. But it certainly good fun bitching about it.
Intoxicatingly yours,
SPIDER
Craig Thompson, congratualtions.
I would like to state how happy I am that labor has won the federal election.
Kevin 07 and HSU all the way.
The last ambo to leave this site, please turn the lights off.
AMBULANCE OFFICER ASSAULTED
Well it’s official boys and girls HSU and OH&S Committees are scrambling to attention to address the problems associated with rosters that force officers to work alone. This is after an officer at Merriwa station was recently assaulted.
I believe there will be high level and high-powered discussions between OH&S and HSU committees throughout the state of NSW to deliberate on this oversight.
Who could have predicted that working alone might be dangerous. Who could envisaged the detrimental effects that this practice may have on patient outcomes. It sure has been a great shock to everyone.
I believe a large number of OH&S and HSU committee members are receiving counseling as we speak. Yep, this one has slipped through to the keeper all right.
SPIDER
With industrial relations front and centre of the Labor campaign, party strategists planted several high-profile national unionists in safe Labor seats.
The national secretary of the Health Services Union Craig Thomson was elected in the NSW seat of Dobell.
The results show the Liberal scare campaign highlighting a possible Rudd Cabinet with 70 per cent of its members as unionists failed to deter voters from Labor.
WELL HERE WE ARE AGAIN !
Our predictable and almost certain apathy has shone through yet again. whether you are for the good old HSU and their management buddies or against the bastards, surely you can muster up the strength to vote either one way or the other ?
You know, I was in an all familiar trolley block at one of Sydney's major hospitals the other day, and there were seven crews waiting to unload ! get this.... NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THOSE OFFICERS NEW ABOUT THIS SITE ???
This is our one and only chance to be heard ! and plenty of you have !!! some of you several times... but how much effort have you put into informing others about this site ?
Or maybe it has all been said, i dont know,....real ambo... what do you think ?
Any suggestions out there as to where we can go from here?
A couple of weeks ago there was a state delegates meeting, the service was given 2 weeks to remove WILLIS from any role in the upcoming review or there would be industrial action.
Well today was the day, and what do you think the piss weak delegates done. FUCKEN NOTHING, except give the service more time.
You ask where do we go from here Real Ambo!
I say we go and find some FUCKEN SPINES for our delegates.
We are are fucken joke and the service knows it!
Spine Hunter,
Typical piss weak union delegates. I have never seen so many cowards and brown noses in one place since I joined this job.
Playing us like puppets all with the help of management and the HSU.
SPIDER
Can any of you delegates or staunch HSU members confirm or deny what spine hunter as said?
Please tell me there is at least ONE TESTICLE between all of you!
I haven't reviewed this blog for several weeks, reading through the posts I feel the current level of momentum has run its course and is trying to gain traction like a labrador running on lino flooring. Its going nowhere. The blog started well but some obtuse individuals utilised the site for their own weird gratification. A log in type of site would limit such persons hijacking the site and may promote some sensible posts. you may want to further investigate that real ambo.
Ready to sign off
Crusty
I agree with crusty this site is over with.
It only entices people to be rude and grose.
Sorry real ambo you did great though to get people talking but in the end it was only smut that was typed in.
The HSU dont give ashit.but most of all the members and delegates dont give ashit either.No one can be bothered,that was clear from todays tele conference.
This site is dead and buried just like Howards IR Laws.
You can lead a horse to water but you cant make then drink it!!!!!!!!
There was only ever one option and one opion only and that was to hold the government to ranson,walk out on the grass,no one has any guts anymore.And tough for the patient I say.Thats life,they dont care about us,,,,they only like an ambo when they need one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone notice, that not one single HSU delegate attempted to deny that we would now have to pay for legal representation if we got in the shit ? Not one single HSU person will stand up and deny any of the truths stated in this blog and michael williamson has repeatedly refused to email HSU members with a satisfaction survey and then publish the results ???
Fact : HSU have recieved over one hundred resignations in the last few weeks, but have said and done absolutely nothing !
They have one yet again !.... , but the bit that really gets my goat !, is that they one in the same old fashion they always do .... BY DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ! They are strong !.... it is us that are piss weak !
Not any more, heres one union fee they one be seeing again.
Dear Spine Hunter,
If you look at HSU Newsletter 327/2007 from 20 November 2007 you will notice that the delegates meeting rejected the terms of reference (which were clearly written to sound good, but not actually critically review current senior management practices as is typical of politicians and health politicians in particular).
I also note that he Service's attempt to have Willis as part of the review team was rejected and the team comprises (almost exclusively) staff from Performance Review Dept of Premier & Cabinet.
From my previous experience these people are headhunters and their reports are taken VERY seriously. Even if they are limited by the terms of reference, they are not stupid, tho I do note with concern that the TOR does not include the usual catchall "any other matters that arise during the review".
The "terms of reference" (attached to the newsletter) do however state that "Other people may be brought into the team during the course of the review to undertake specific tasks" and "Officers from the Service, Dept AND the union will provide technical and specialist advice as required"
HSU has, I repeat, rejected the terms of reference outright.
In addition regarding section 7(d) Skills Enhancement, (renumeration): The delegates could not agree and a motion from the Illawarra seeking to reject further skills upgrades unless renumerated was rejected.
You cannot expect HSU to do anything in this area when even YOUR own delegates can't agree.
Hope this clears it up, tho you could just read the newsletter like I did and I don't even work there any more.
Rik Shepherd
PS:
I have read a large amount of criticism regarding your elected delegates on this blog. I repeat a previous comment:
If the delegates YOU elected are NOT doing the job YOU wanted them to, then vote them OUT at the next AGM.
The ONLY problem is WHICH of you are going to get off your arse and stand for election?
You CANNOT blame HSU if they are getting their information AND direction AND advice from the delegates YOU elected.
I fear that the apathy that is so evident amongst the rank and file Ambos will continue to prevail and you will still be whinging at the same time next year AND the year after, ad nauseum.
YOU can only BLAME the union when YOU are a part of it AND take part in it.
Rik the Frog,
Re: You CANNOT blame HSU if they are getting their information AND direction AND advice from the delegates YOU elected.
We are paying HSU for a service, "organised representation". It is their job to ensure unpaid union delegates represent everyone democratically, but they don't. HSU seem to be happy with a few meatheads presenting their own agendas while keeping everyone else quiet.
Furthermore, I am sick of the corruption and coercion between management and union delegates. Until the system we have where management is the same union as the rank and file, is exposed for what it is "corruption", I won't be stepping up to the plate to take on a union delegates position.
The system we have now should be part of an ICAC inquiry without doubt. How many union delegates do you know that are looked after or favoured by management?
SPIDER
Hello Again Spider,
No real arguement here, BUT it should be YOUR job to ensure that unpaid union delegates represent everyone democratically.
I mean HSU DOES have quite a lot of members who AREN'T ambos.
AND yes, ICAC should be involved, BUT they usually (so far that is)get the Service to investigate itself and then report back to ICAC. Which when you think about it is just a BIT of a contradiction.
We ARE the ONLY ambulance service in Australia that HASN'T had a royal commission, a bit overdue don't you think?
ICAC is a joke. If you don't think so, just try to make a protected disclosure and see who finds out you submitted it.
You guessed it, the person you complained about !!!!
Rik Shepherd
Rik Shepherd,
No argument there. ICAC don't have the resources to investigate every organisation personaly. They would rely on PSCU in our situation and I'd expect their under resourced as well.
Without an proper independant investigation that would include speaking to the majority of ambos, investigating coercion between some union delegates and some managers and the conflict of interest of having management in the same union things won't change.
The real indication that we need a proper "independant" investigation and substantial changes to the service is our last 3 corporate culture surveys. The old saying "looks crook is crook" really is appropriate in our case.
As you know this is nothing new it's been going on for over 20 years that I know of. Surely those in power must understand that there is something definately wrong.
SPIDER
As a Patient Transport Oficcer I have been reading some of the comments. For the most part, the comments relate to the pay rise of 4%. Can I just mention that the PTO's did not get the 4% that the ambo's got, the service in it's wisdom reckon that the pto's dont deserve the pay rise because there job has not changed since the pto's began. That is plain bullshit (is there any other kind of bullshit). PTO's do urgent assist loads, we are called to major incidents, and just in the last few months I heard a pto called as first responce too a code 2. I have all so been told recently that a pto crew were told to check on a patient and make sure they were breathing well guess what the patient was code 2.
The pto's are all so digusted with hsu and managment we all so feel that it is time for a change. I for one would vote for a new union or why not try the Transport Workers Union I am sure they would bee more than happy to have another 3 thousand or so members sign up. And just for your info, PTO's only get 20min crib break in a 10hr day, we dont get to stand down at any point in our day, we are on the go all day long. I am not saying that the ambo's deserve more all I am saying think about the pto's as well because we do work hard as well.
here is another pto here to see what is happening
TO anonynmous PTO>
I am a senior frog in the job now for more years than i care to remember and i know i speak for just about all ambulance officers when i say, : you guys to a fantastic job".
I have been to several trauma jobs where PTO's have been first on the seen and am always impressed with the treatment given by you guys prior to our arrival.
Whilst you have limited equipment, the patient is invariably on oxygen, postured correctly and a good history is always forth coming.
The fact that you guys only get a 20 minute crib break for all your hard work, discustes me but is another example of what a corrupt "in bed with managemnnt" Union we have.
If you guys kicked up a stink about that... you would have the full support of every ambo that i know.
Keep up the good work guys...and if you are serious about change, MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT EVERY PTO YOU KNOW AND GET THEM TO VISIST THIS SITE... NOT ONLY TO COMMENT, BUT TO VOTE !
TO anonynmous PTO,
I agree you guys deserve better. Re the 20 minute crib break, that's third world country IR.....thanks again HSU.
All this hype at the moment re the terms of reference(TOR)etc for the investigation into the service. I believe there are paperwork bans this Tuesday because HSU are not happy with the TOR.
Amazing how HSU find their legs when they get to have a shot at the Greg Rochford and the executive.
Maybe they could aim some of that high powered critism at the senior managers who are really screwing this service......oh!! sorry I forgot their in HSU as well.
SPIDER
While I'm in the mood.....why doesn't someone investigate HSU while they are investigating the service, maybe see how much of our union fee goes to the labour party and junkets etc.
2600 ambos X $21.00 fortnight that's alot of money. I work in the country and havn't had a visit from a paid union delegate for 4 years.
Where does the money go? Guess what HSU doesn't publish those details...is it any wonder why.
SPIDER
spider,
you can complain to labor council, get a group together and send in a joint one, maybe others on this blog will do the same
I have been a Potatoe for a few years, when I started we worked 9 to 5 and did not have a crib break if the fat controller did not want us to have one. Now we are supposed to get our crib break between the 4th and 6th hour. The fat controllers point of view in this, is we are sent back to station at the end of the fifth hour. We are now sent back to our own station which is pretty good now and not just sent to the nearest station or other place. Who wants to go to the SAC for lunch if no one is there we can not get into the meal room it is all locked up.
One day I was returning to station for my crib break and I decided to get of the M7 freeway at Hoxton Park to go to the toilet at a servo which is only a few hundred metres away and the fat controller saw me leave the freeway and called me up to ask why I had left the freeway. I said to the fat controller that I had to go to the toilet. What happened to the GPS being only used for an emergency if something should happen. The fat controller checks our every movement if we are sent back to station just to make sure we don't get a late meal penalty. One day I was coming back from Hurstville station going along the M5 I pulled over to the side of the freeway for nearly 40 minutes because I was sick, guess what not one call from the fat controller to find out why I was not moving for 40 minutes no one gives a shit unless it costs the service a few dollars.
The ambulance service of nsw seems more worried about what we say to each than the safe and efficeint way we get patients home. What ever you do don't tell your partner that he or she is going the long way back to the patients house, even with the patient saying they are going the wrong way, to offer such advice we most certainly get you into shit with the PSCU. What is wrong the this joint if you take the long way around to get back to station for lunch the fat controller wants to know what you are upto, but you can take the patient the long way around because the navman tells them that is the way to go and the fat controller does not give a shit.
Now I am working in the sheltered workshop moving cars around the place and enjoying this very much. I get a morning tea and also have lunch. This is something us potatoes never get. Whay I great job, thanks PSCU investigate me for another 20 years if you like and I will be very happy doing what I am doing now without worrying about if I am taking forever just to get back to station before we are turned into mashed potatoes because we have a late meal.
Also just another thing about our crap union why does it allow PTO's work 50 hours straight.
All the ambo union delegates go on and on about workchoices and how AWA's rip workers off, go and support your sub branch and march against workchoices and have a rally. Well fuck me and bend me over have we been ripped by the union. Potatoes sometimes get 20 minutes crib, some are made to work 50 hours straight and if we refuse to do overtime at the end of the shift the fat controller wants our balls. We work two days and have two days of then work another two days. I always thought a working week starts and finish on a continuous roster not have 2 days here then two there, we should be working 4 or 5 days straight. Who allowed this to happen, the gutless union, the reason they tell us is because they will have to many cars on the road on a certain day, well guess what so what, why should we have working conditions that is suited to the anti labour party AWA's and then have the union expect us to go and march.
\We have other members of the union delegates that are so anti PTO and what we do, like responding to jobs that are for the emergency service and we are just around the corner, we can not respond because we can not have our lights and sirens going, what the fuck do we have them for, to make the car look good I suppose. The union delegates say if we respond to a job the ambulance service will not support us if we have an accident, well guess what boys do something about it, make the asnsw look after us. I must be a little retarded or something because I have just of the frog at Blacktown that had a taxi smash into him when he was responding to a job, guess what the ambulance service said stiff shit go and sort it out yourself, so it went to court and if it was not for the support of follow ambos at the court, he could have been fined.
The union is all about helping every other worker in Australia and NSW wasting our $21 a pay on political adds on television and radio saying Howard is no good, well boys get of your fat arse and do something for us now, you have recieved a mandate for change with Rudd for 07 stomping in.
Now it is our turn to get a bit of the payola that we deserve.
Now it is our turn to get fair pay in line with what the community expectations are for the well being of their loved ones.
Now it is our turn to get a decent lunch break, not shit 20 minutes that we get now, this is not even ample time do put the kettle on, go and do shit, and eat out meals. No wonder The Hills private complained breenshirts invading there lunch room and eating the doctors sandwiches and biscuits.
Now it is time that we get a roster which is not all over the place, have family friendly rosters that we can be home for at least one hot meal. I have a daughter who thinks I just come home and have sex with her mum and then leave again in the morning to go to work. In a six week roster we finish at 16.00 for one week, all the other times we finish after 18.00. MY family has dinner at 18.00 and my 8 year old daughter is in bed by 19.00. All she hears from me when I got home is the banging of the bed head on the wall.
I for one have been in the union since I started, except for a short time when I left because they did not do anything for us. When they got the 20 minute crib break put into the award I rejoined.
Some people are probably thinking what a fat whinging Potatoe why are you still in the union for, well my friends I stay in it because of the old chinnese proverb,
DIVIDED WE FALL, UNITED WE STAND.
It is now time to unite brothers and do away with the union and start afresh
Has anyone thought about going to Work Cover.
Yes I know you can get the sack if they find out but you can go to them Anonymous.It just means you cant cheack up on the progress.
But who wants to anyway,Iam sure it would get around the grape vine anyway.
Its very easy I rang them 2 days ago,they were very eager to get involed.
All you have to do is write a complaint and decribe what is happening with the lack of breaks etc etc,and then they turn up at your area sector office.
Easy peasy.Make sure you tell them names,places and as much detail as poss.
It is against the law what they are doing,you must have a break of 30min every 4 to 6hrs.Its the law and the svc can get fined.
Give it ago.But do it anonymous and you have no worrys,you can also email,an inspector will be out in a flash.
Just think if every ambo from every station did this there would be mayhem.Work cover is the name and they look after state employees.
Not everyone was told about the teleconference last week.thurs29/11/07
Some delegates did not get the phone call to get the number and pin so they could not speak for their members.
Why was that I wonder?
Does the HSU only want the spineless delegates to make decions,Interesting dont you think?
some things are just keep to hush hush,Oh how I feel like a mushroom!!!!!!So not all Delegates are on the side of the enermy,I know 1.
At the teleconference there were some delegates who did not give a shit about the PTOs getting a 4%,and said so.
They were only looking after themselves.how lucky are you to have people like that who would stick the knife in.I didnt relise just how much work you PTOs did.Good on you brothers and sisters,I only hope you all put your resignations in.Whats the point in staying in.
They are not going to look after you if you get into trouble,you have to pay for your own representaion now.How good is that.
I wonder if other unions do the same?
confused ex ambo
I have already been to workcover and some other places that I thought might have been a little bit saddened by PTO's 20 minute crib, this was when we tried to get our 20 minute crib into the award. They all said that if the crib is nat in the award they can make you work all day with out a break. I then suggested that in any award you can not take any condition away from any worker unless it enhances their outcome. Hence I said that in our award there is provision for a 1 hour unpaid break, to which are brothers in the white shirts enjoy now and getb gtreat financial benefit from. Unforntuately our brothers in the Green shirts would not benefit from such break. Anyway thanks for reading I better go and make some noise on my bedroom wall so at least my daughter knows I am at home.
hello, good morning
i haven't been writing a letter to you.. I non't hab a aussie accent yet. i'm not wearing underwear today. Ambo girly boys still very silly human beginings in same union as boss banana. I'm would ruv it if you rould shtay here longtime with mee. I be back soon after.
bye silly funny ambo
see you rater
Chin
Well the paperwork bans are over. Yep, they sure brought my mate Greg and the Executive to it’s knees in surrender. I’ve heard we can have anything we want now, even back massages and ice cream at lunchtime!!!!.
HSU was definitely the lion that roared that day………. Or maybe should we say, the little lion with a tummy ache, that passed a little wind, and felt sick.
SPIDER
Yeah spider... that must have put the fear of God in management " a whole day of paperwork bans ".
But what do you reckon honestly ?.. it would have been like all the other industrial action HSU have initiated ... it was discussed before hand with their management buddies as to exactly what they would do and how long it would go. You know just enough to convince the gullible rank and file out there, that they are a seperate entitiy and that they really are fighting for us.
It's almost as sickening of the old war cry that nothing gets done because people don't turn up to the meetings .... PLEASE !!! its insulting.
What an absolute joke. HSU is pathetic. I'm glad I got out and those crooks aren't seeing anymore of my cash.
the uniform was worth the wait ...
Poor lost souls,
I mentioned before how senior ambulance management are really letting you guys down.
Let me add more.
The basis of all H/R revolves around supporting staff to perform at their optimum. This is supposed to occur in a number of ways.
Firstly, management has the right to manage their organisation. They are accountable to others higher in the organisation.
Secondly, employees have a duty to perform when given a legal and formal direction from their supervisors.
The problem with the ASNSW is that employees are not given clear and unambiguous direction via a fair and an impartial assessment performance appraisal system.
This is known as duplicity of command.
Put simply, senior managers [from sector managers and above] are put on a performance appraisal system.
Other senior public service managers are appraised using a MLQ360 system. Management Leadership Quality 360o view of a manager’s performance.
This is a vital component of any senior appraisal system to either elevate or set a side a senior manager. It’s based on looking at a person’s performance from their bosses, peers and subordinates viewpoint.
The private sector invests many thousands of dollars looking at the performances of their employees. Believe it or not, so does NSW Health. This includes ambulance bosses at Divisional level and above.
The MLQ360 is a tool that SES people use to get more money and job security.
Are ambulance officers given such an appraisal? YES! But it’s in an informal manner. We are appraised, but you won't have access to its contents.
Bad thing you think? Of course it is.
Apart from being unfair and an invasion of your privacy it is illegal because it does not allow you to change your behaviour if it needs altering from time to time.
The ramifications are the following;
1) Its is difficult for you to change your actions to a positive ay if you do not know about them from an impartial person;
2) The employee will find it difficulty to prove that they had acted in a manner to resolve their performance if they are not made formally aware of what their performance is be it positive or otherwise;
3) The lack of a suitable Front Line Managers Course is another example of poor H/R practices. Even the SES has such a course for front line leaders. The ASNSW has none other than what staffs do for themselves.
The ASNSW is the only government department not to have one...!
4) The employee will also find it difficult to prove to the IRC that they should be re-employed during a challenge to a dismissal if there is no record of their previous work performance(s);
5) Its easier for ten employers to argue that an employee performed poorly and that the dismissal should remain;
6) Poor employers [such as the ASNSW] use such tactics to limit statistical analysis to limit Award enhancements in pay and conditions claims;
7) Private industry, government departments and NSW Health have complex appraisal systems in place, and
8) Without an apprasal system that reflects accuratly what needs/should'has to be done, then your chance sof gettinga pay rise are very low indeed. Then IRC would look at these first, but its hands are tied because neither the HSU or the ASNSW brings them up.
Therefore, the wage claim is limited to a lousy 4%.
The HSU is fully aware of them and yet chooses not to peruse them for sub sector management employees and actively chooses not to peruse them at our cost.
Think about it.
You get sacked because of proven poor performance. You bad person you!
But the onus of Non Delegatable Duty of Care is with the employer to guide you to a positive work performance.
HSU knows this and actively challenges Health with other employees but not with sworn ambos.
This proves that the HSU is actively in engaged in a "conscious and deliberate" partnership with Health and the ASNSW to keep us at bay.
You don't need a PhD in leadership to understand what I have said.
P.A.P.
P.A.P.
You are oh so right ! tell me, what do you think it will take before the average Ambo wakes up and realises that no matter how much money he gives the HSU, no matter how many meetings he goes to or how many letters he writes, he will not be supported by them... and that this will continue until every last one of us has ditched the HSU for good ? really.... what is it going to take ???
Poor lost souls,
Dear Anonymous,
Believe it or not it’s not the HSU which is at fault here; it’s the collective culture of management, the HSU and Health ambos have to deal with.
What ever union ends up representing ambos, the result will be the same - soft representation and below par results. It’s not what is dealt to us that is important here, its how we deal with it that matters.
For many reasons, ambos just don't know how to give clear instructions to the HSU.
The main reason is because we are fragmented with far too many sub-branches.
More sub-branches = less cohesion = less effective representation.
The many great in roads gained over the years were accomplished when we had only a few sub-branches.
Two officer cars in the city, coordination, paramedic, rescue and ALS allowances came to fruition prior to the numerous sub-branches that we now have.
Delegates spoke about a few agenda points and that was that. It was simple and to the point.
Think about our HSU as an organisation with far too many departments and lines of accountability. It would soon be dysfunctional and difficult to manage.
It resembles Health far too much for my liking. Its overly beaurocratic, is expensive to run with far too many staff employed per ratio of members. Too many have a say without important people being listened to.
We need to look at our HSU like any stock holder would.
Questions need to be asked;
1) How many ambos are being sacked or suspended since the PSCU came into being;
2) What is the main reason that these disciplinary issues are being used?
3) What is the frequency of infractions?
4) If it’s a Service wide issue, then why are ambos making the same mistakes across the state?
5) How do these stats measure up across other emergency services personnel in NSW and other ambulance services?
6) What has the ASNSW done to educate ambos as to ten errors of their ways prior to suspension? and
7) What has the HSU done to ensure that education and encouragement replace the big stick attitude of the ASNSW?
Rochford is a good manager but a pretty ordinary leader. He simply can’t change from his transactional mode and has what is known as “uniform envy”.
"Managers get the correct resources, leaders use them correctly."
He does use the significant resources around him to educate his staff; he just belts them around the head.
HSU needs to contact a university to run a proper thesis on us that will be published. Its onlt then will our collective voices be heard.
P.A.P.
Part of an article from a paper today:
Health Services Union general secretary Michael Williamson said before the industrial action: "A state-wide ambulance delegates' meeting openly expressed hostility toward the NSW Government and the Minister for Health, Reba Meagher, because they have refused to establish the forensic and focused review needed of the senior management of the Ambulance Service of NSW, as called for by the mass meeting of ambulance officers on September 1."
A spokeswoman for Ms Meagher called upon the union not to pursue any paperwork bans.
"The minister has encouraged the HSU to participate in the comprehensive review of the Ambulance Service being undertaken by the Premier's performance unit," she said.
"The review's terms of reference enable the HSU and ambulance officers to raise any issues or concerns."
The chief executive of the Ambulance Service, Greg Rochford said he endorsed Ms Meagher's comments.
"The comprehensive review of the Ambulance Service being undertaken by the Premier's performance unit".
What are HSU going on about?, seems OK to me.
Surely they don't think there is something Dodgey with the "Labor" Premier's performance unit.
Careful Michael you'll get in trouble.
SPIDER
Just had an enlightened moment and had a great idea. Let's all join another union. I mean to say.....lets stay with HSU as we can’t get rid of them anyway, and have another union within HSU to represent us within the HSU/management hierarchy. With senior managers in HSU as well as us, I think this could be the way to go.
Goosh I’m clever.......bet no one thought of that!
SPIDER
Unions smoounions, what the fuck, these pricks will end up running the country anyways then we will not have nay hold on them then eh.
Go Labor letts fuck the country 3ways between.
Unions are a wonderful place to air ones problems. The HSU has been most supportive of all our needs. I just cannot believe the drivell going on here.
HSU for ever, long live the HSU
hey i like the idea of a sub branch of the HSU to look after us poor dumb fucks, just another committee to be completely confused into the wide web mixed up fuck ups that are running this circus now. NOT!
hey spider great idea. you know we are always just 2 steps behind the yanks. They have multiple court cases going on over one issue at all times. "Lets just hire another lawyer to sue the first lawyer for not getting the result I wanted in the first place, then get another lawyer to sue the second one for not getting the first lawyer and so ....."
Lets really confuse the bastards, we must ultimately win with such a great system to follow. Tjose yanks are marvellous. eh
REAL AMBO !
It is obvious from some of the recent entries here that some very pertinent "FACTS" that have been uncovered on this site are being missed by newcomers who do not have the time to wade through thousands of comments. Facts such as Michael Williamson being head of the nsw labour party, the fact that the HSU now requires payment if they are to represent you and facts about many many other discracful realities regarding management and the HSU that have been brought to light since the inception of this site.
I think a FRONTLINE page ... containing a summary of these is now really necessary... we need to make sure that these important issues are at the forefront of this site for all newcomers to see at a glance and not drowned by rubbish !
People have on occasion given summarys of these facts, but they need to be on a headline page.... like the one you have set up for what the politions say !
Maybe it can then be forwarded via the intranet to the "ASK GREG" facility on the ASNSW intranet where greg rotchford candidly answers any questions that are put forward ???
Jillian,
Thanks for supporting ambos. I have served for over 20 years and am a big supporter of Greg Rochford and his Executive. This is mainly because, believe it or not, things are better than they used to be in our service. He has set up a Professional Standards and Conduct Unit, sacked or maneuvered out a number of corrupt or incompetent senior uniformed managers within the service, and most of all he has stuck with us. I just hope he is not thrown out with the bath water so to speak after any investigation.
The main problem we face as I see it is having senior uniformed managers in the same union as the rank and file. It leads to collusion, coercion and corruption, but ultimately with the help of the union, constantly directs critism at the Executive and not to where the problems really lay.
SPIDER
Well Spider,
Now we know who and what you really are, an ass kissing, fauning, syncopant.
If you think things are better now, you can't have been in 20 years.
You mention PSCU? That unit was created to get us in the shit and nothing else.
If this lot were serious they would create a panel of 3 to investigate each complaint and then dissolve it after it was concluded.
A permanent panel like the PSCU turns into a make work unit, actively seeking complaints and dragging them on forever.
They can't tell the difference between good and bad employees and invariably sack the wrong one.
Back in the old days the PSCU didn't exist, the (then) HR unit was staffed with 3 people, NOW that lot have 37, that's right 37 in HR doing the same job as 3. And now another 7 in PSCU.
All Greg's creation.
If you look at our website and even the bills we send out you will see "want to make a complaint?" That's PSCU begging people to complain about us so they can justify their useless existence.
This whole cluster fuck is caused by those useless suits in health who have migrated over to us and made our lives miserable.
Obviously you got in the shit big time with the brothers and now you are sucking up to greggy poo.
Let me tell you if the PSCU gets a hold of you they will hound you to death with looooonnnnggggg delays in reports, hanging you out to dry, fucking up and delaying court cases and generally doing what health does best, creating jobs for that useless organisation the ACHSE.
Your mate Greg has got to go, so has Willis and his often promoted wife and the ratbag group of Divisional managers.
Let's get a decent, intelligent and fair State Super, piss of this DoH CEO shit, get out of health and into emergency services where we belong and then get the management system fixed once and for all.
I am sick of these bureaucratic "tails" wagging us, the dog.
Oh and by the way, the Divisional Managers are all on SES packages and aren't part of our union, except for Mick Willis who thinks Pollard will save his ass.
The rest, from Assistant Div Manager on down are not a threat, they are all polishing up their CVs for when the two Dennis' retire and they would kill their own offspring to get one of those jobs.
The funny thing is they ALL think that they are going to get one. What they should be doing is sticking together and demanding more jobs for uniformed managers so we have a career path.
They get fewer and fewer with every restructure and havent got the brains to realise they are doing themselves AND us a disservice, and yet YOU worry about them being in our union?
In a good organisation, the bosses hire junior people smarter than they are so they will get the job done and look good at the same time.
Not us, each boss hires someone stupider than they are and look where we ended up, thank fuck they don't directly get unvolved in hiring us or we would all be drooling morons with the IQ of a pot plant.
Get a grip spider, the big bad supers ain't going to get you, but PSCU will......
Labour Voter (Not) said
Re: Now we know who and what you really are, an ass kissing, fauning, syncopant.
Good to see you back Labour Voter (Not). Never kissed a bum in my life apart from my wifes. You obviously spent a lot of time and thought with your last message, have you been in trouble with the PSCU? Is that why you hate Greg? I wonder.
I stood up to the brothers, as others did, and played a small part in providing evidence to have them sacked. I’m very proud of that. The PSCU was set up because of the cultural problems and corruption that the brothers fathered.
The legacy the brothers left of intimidation, favoratism, union coercion and collusion with management is still going to take some time to get rid of. Labour Voter (Not) read our last three corporate culture surveys, all the information you need is in there. You can then take an informed educated position instead of waffling on about all the people in suits, there are too many suits, the suits are evil etc etc etc etc etc.
You always complain about the people who are trying to clean up our wonderful service, maybe you where one of the brothers, or maybe one of their union delegate bitches. I wonder?
SPIDER
LABOUR VOTER / SPIDER !!!
You guys both have some very interesting comments...and really you are not that far apart believe it or not!
It is interesting to look at both sides here and listen guys.... nobody is kissing anybodys arse here ! the very fact that you are sharing, shows that you both realise that be are being Fucked (BIG TIME), and i dont think anyone would disagree with that.... the question is who is doing the fucking.... PSCU and the suits, the HSU or Senior management... and that is why we need to get ourselves a fresh start with a new Union who will not allow senior management or delegates with thier own agenda to dominate the game.
Keep up the good work....
Anonymous,
Re: the question is who is doing the fucking.... PSCU and the suits, the HSU or Senior management...
The “fucking” as you so aptly put it has been going on for as long as I can remember, well before the PSCU and the suits turned up. By my reckoning that only leaves the senior managers in HSU.
Friends of mine in other professions just can’t believe it when I tell them we are in the same union as our senior managers. You don’t have to be too intelligent to imagine that this is not a legitimate impartial system.
SPIDER
Dear Spider,
Perhaps you could enlighten us as to exactly WHAT problems Superintendents are and have been creating for us in HSU.
You keep on and on about it, so tell us just how they are managing to control HSU and us.
As a subbranch they have been the most ineffective group in HSU for 3 decades, they are even more disorganised and disfunctional in union matters than we are.
Their pay rates are pathetic, they keep loosing positions due to restructures and they only ever think of their chances of crawling up the next rung in the chain.
We all want to hear your views, at lest I do!
Learn to spell dude!!!
Labour Voter (Not),
Did you notice that prior to Greg Rochford taking the reigns around 8CEO’s left the service or were sacked, in as many years, that’s a fact. Yep that’s one a year, including all of the members of the Ambulance Board and god knows how many other executives. The ASNSW was on the verge of administrative collapse, there were even rumors of privatisation.
Why were so many CEO’s leaving, why were some sacked (political reasons I’d expect), were they really that incompetent, did the whole board and all the other executives get it wrong as well. I don’t think any reasonable person would believe that. So what did it all mean? Well HSU needs to look after they’re paying members. Rather than take any heat themselves senior uniformed managers (Paying HSU members), with the help of HSU’s political muscle and with leaks to the media would direct criticism at a CEO, at an executive or at the Board to take away of their own incompetence, especially if that criticism was directed to their area of responsibility.
Labour Voter (Not) think about it…. I mean really take a few seconds to think about it……..try resolving a grievance, complain about harassment or complain that a senior uniformed manager has acted illegally to HSU. I have, it doesn’t work. Do you really believe you’ll get impartial unbiased representation from HSU, if you get any representation at all?
Will the people I speak of be criticised in any way in the future? You can place bets on it; it won’t be by HSU.
SPIDER
Is Rik Shepherd still married to a Superintendent? Wasn't it he who was our union prez the night of the meeting at Granville many moons ago when we refused to stop stiking and he stormed off with the shits. Were you promised anything by the service to get us back to work that night Rik? That was the talk.
SPIDER ! .... I dont know who you are, but you have an intelligible and perceptive grasp of our management, our union and general culture that transends the ridiculous cover up job that the HSU has been trying to keep secret for years.
I know what you are saying is true, because I have first hand experience of what you are talking about myself. I have been to my Union deligate and right to the top of the HSU with several matters where management had not only acted inappropiately, but according to my solicitor had in fact broken the law !
But guess what.... the HSU did not want a bar of it. They just gave me the run around and then told me there was nothing they could do. My solicitor told me that it would cost thousands to process the case and i knew i would be a marked man the rest of my career, so i let it go.
The HSU will never, and i mean NEVER represent you against a senior uniformed manager because they work together ! What amazes me is how they have got away with this for so long. I have heard countless storeies of a similar nature from at least 20 other officers in my time. They get shat on, they go to the HSU and they sit on there hands and hang them out to dry ! and that is why they have got to go.
It probably wont happen with a bang... and like i have said before, they wont give up without a fight... just look at how they tryed to sabotage this site a few weeks ago with all their pathetic comments ! ... but they will go and thats for sure... they have been exposed and more and more people are will come forward until the tide can no longer be held back.
When that happens, the rank and file will finally have a voice again and the word Union will once again stand for something, but until such time cover your own arse because you can bet your bottom dollar they (HSU) wont.
Dear Anonymous (another one),
Yes I am still married to a superintendent.
Yes I do remember that meeting at Granville. I remember chartering a coach at my OWN expense to bring 40of my members down from Brisbane Waters to vote to continue the dispute. HREA refused to pay when I asked permission, so I paid for it myself.
I also remember being called up to the podium (I was on the floor like most others) because there was an arguement between some HREA dickhead who's name escapes me and some sub-Branch executives over a point of order.
The chair had to step down to move his motion and they asked me to preside, for all of 15 minutes while they made motion and counter motion.
HREA wanted to call it off, we didn't.
If memory serves (it is about 15 years ago)I stormed off as you put it because the points of order got so out of hand that I could not make head nor tail out of the original motion, the amendments, and counter amendments that they kept trying to get me to preside over.
The final motion put was almost totally opposite what was first mooted. HREA carried the day.
And no, I didn't receive anything, from anyone, then or ever and this is the first I have heard of "the talk".
If you want to see what happened to me after Granville, see the blog I posted at 20:09 on 12/11/07,
hardly the thanks of a greatful management.
Rik Shepherd
Spider,
You mention that 8 CEOs came before Greg, true.
Why? Didn't fit in with DoH (McGregor specifically)
Why did Greg stay so long? Questions were asked in parliament re the short duration of the previous ones, that kept him there (election coming up, leave the status quo).
Anyway that is irrelevent.
If a uniformed manager got up your ribs, why the fuck didn't you go see Greg, I mean he is in charge, isn't he? Not HSU
Labour Voter (Not),
Re: If a uniformed manager got up your ribs, why the fuck didn't you go see Greg, I mean he is in charge, isn't he? Not HSU
Very perceptive labour Voter (Not), actually there were a number of them involved assisted by the Williamson and the HSU. Honour and Integrity are not words that come out of Micheal’s mouth very often.……I don’t want to get into details for obvious reasons. Anyway, it was well before Greg joined the service.
As for questions in parliament and leaving the status quo prior to an election coming up. Correct me if I am wrong but Greg has been with us for what 6?,7? or 8? years I think. State elections are every 3-4 years….. so obviously his tenure has nothing to do with looking good or worrying about bad press prior to one election.
I truly believe it’s because he has done allot to help our service. He sure has had one hell of a mess to clean up especially after the brothers had their grubby little hands on it for so long.
SPIDER
Dear Poor Lost Souls,
Dear Anonymous who attacked Rik,
The criticisms that I previously posted about Rik were quite admirably answered by Rik himself.
I was also man enough to e-mail him my identity some time ago.
Perhaps you might have the courage to do the same?
There's nothing wrong with being married to another ambo [especially a super] especially since they have studied and made career progressions that many of us wish to aspire to.
What does your wife/hubby/partner/lover do for a living? Most of them put up with the crap we bring home and are there for us in our harder times.
Personally, I couldn't think of anything worse than being married to another ambo. The reasons aren't too difficult to think of now are they?
If you would stop sabotaging this Site and start listening to the few voices that are actually trying to help, then you may well get somewhere!
As for [anonymous] who continues to savage the brothers, you have made a few good points.
Yes, our once fine Service was seen as a closed shop and not receptive to change or to new ideas.
But so was McGregor and all the "suits" that came before and after him.
McGregor stood over Health when the MacCarthur Area Health Service went to the pack, when the Amb Board was sacked for being incompetent, he looked over the nurses dispute that has seen thousands of fine nurses leave Health, the demise of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, the current shameful RNSH debacle and has NEVER had the guts to out his hand up for the Director General of Health job!
Rochford is pretty bright...He knows that all he has to do to survive is play to McGregor's tune and he will remain in the job regardless of what ten Premier’s Department do with their “Forensic Analysis.”
Rik and the "brothers" have bear the scars of helping you with their own time and money.
We have a great deal to thank John Ryan, Jack Hawkins, Graeme Webster, Eric Marks and all the others for.
Please, just learn to appreciate it.
P.A.P.
Thanks for clearing that Granville meeting up Rik. Also I wasn't bagging your missus just asking if you were still with her. I happen to think she is a very cool lady going back a long time when she was a pleb like me and we worked together on the road.
P.A.P.
Re: We have a great deal to thank John Ryan, Jack Hawkins, Graeme Webster, Eric Marks and all the others for.
They say that too much LSD can permanently taint your perception of reality.
You have got to be joking P.A.P. Two of the above individuals were the most dishonest, nepotistic incompetent managers I have ever met. However, you are right, we do have a great deal to thank them for, a CEO with the balls and intelligence to take them on, and the PSCU unit that continues to clean our wonderful service of their equally nepotistic and corrupt apostles. Unfortunately there are still some of them lurking around in our organisation.
SPIDER
Dear Spider,
It’s great to have some good old fashioned debate on this site rather than personal and vindictive abuse that has been its hallmark of late.
I knew and worked closely with Ryan, Marks and Webster. We were all ambos together in Sydney.
This experience covered well over thirty years.
I never saw any of them perform an illegal or corrupt act. Never, ever.
Most survived the onslaught of CEO's such as Brian Lewis, the new Board and let’s not forget Donna St. Clair.
Ryan and Hawkins were eventually pensioned off.
Webster retired with a bad back and Marks stood up to Rochford and Willis and paid the ultimate price - the sword of "forced redundancy."
After many concerted and failed attempts to get them for whatever was said about them - I am talking about ICAC and the Ombudsman - nothing ever stuck because there was nothing there to get them for.
Graeme Webster was almost the State President of HAREA and served on many landmark industrial tribunals, conferences and talk fests to defend, promote and to elevate us. Remember the Gleeson Report? He was our representative that finally saw being used as an amb service and not an as a cab service.
He was not perfect and never pretended to be, but gave it his best against a very hostile and incompetent NSW Health department.
Marksy was Marksy. I saw him at his very best. He was not a quiet man - I would call him a colourful one. He remains a dear and close confident to many serving ambos.
He saved more ambos arses than he ever canned; was always approachable and like all of us, made his fair share of mistakes. Unlike some of us, he was ten first to apologise if a mistake was brought to his attention.
You don't mention my remarks about NSW Health, McGregor and Rochford. This makes me think that you are biased. Fair enough, we all have our biases.
The PSCU is competent at only saving Rochford's arse. Look at the litany of personal disputes, harassment cases and attempted and sadly successful suicides that have occurred since their inception.
We have good managers, but they are not leaders in any sense at all.
P.A.P.
Wondered how long it would be before Hollywood, Marksy and the others would be mentioned. Those were the good old days when mates looked after mates. Brothers in Arms. A handshake and a nod was all it took. The old CDA days were great weren't they?
P.A.P
Re: Graeme Webster was almost the State President of HAREA (now HSU)
He was also the Divisional Manager CDA....conflict of interest....I rest my case.
Anonymous,
Re: A handshake and a nod was all it took.
Your right about that, merit and experience meant nothing. And if you didn't like or spoke out about the dictatorship you were doomed.
"Brothers in Arms". More like Brothers in each others Arms
SPIDER
Poor Lost Souls,
Dear Spider,
Graeme almost got the job of State President of HREA when he was an A/O, not as you infer when he held the position of Divisional/Superintendent Manager.
Like you, he clearly understood the conflict of interest issue.
Unlike you, he worked with people, saw the better side of them and supported them through an active and effective industrial program.
As for the Brothers in Arms that you refer to... yes it did exist with many of the old time superintendents.
Beklive it or not, its still exists now, just in a different form and growing stronger than ever.
P.A.P
P.A.P.
Re: Unlike you, he worked with people, saw the better side of them and supported them through an active and effective industrial program.
Doesn’t make any sense P.A.P you don’t know me….whatever.
Re: Like you, Webster clearly understood the conflict of interest issue.
Yep and more and more ambos are starting to understand as well. It’s dumb to be in the same union as your boss.
I know, how about we propose to HSU that we recruit the CEO, the Executive and the Board to join our union as well, just a Webster was. Seeing all of our senior uniformed managers are already in HSU I can’t see how a few more would hurt. We could even change our name to the Ambulance Nazi Service of NSW. I can see it now…….. Michael sprooks out the party doctrine at the top of his voice, sub-branch delegates chant with excitement in the front row, while a few superintendents lurk in the shadows smiling, knowing who really runs the show.
What more can I say. Having senior uniformed managers in our union is dumb.
SPIDER
Everyone:
who is this spider guy? all he goes on about is how good rochford is and how bad it was in the old days and having supers in our union.
like that guy pap said the days of the brothers were the best ever. you knew where you stood you were respected as a human being and for your ability you got a fair hearing you could be in the shit one minute and be at the pub with them the next with no hard feelings.
not now the supers are shit and hq at rozelle is a total joke
glad i've only got a year to go
Anonymous,
Re: who is this spider guy? all he goes on about is how good rochford is and how bad it was in the old days and having supers in our union.
Does it really matter who I am. All that really matters is that I am an ambo who has lived through the nepotism, corruption and union coercion with senior uniformed management. I speak from experience.
If you are naive enough to believe it’s OK to be in a union with your boss that’s up to you.
Good luck in your retirement.
SPIDER
Is Dave Higgins another victim of this job? He must have snapped totally to do what he did. I wonder how much support he is getting off management now he isn't a hero anymore?
what did dave higgins do?
Anonymous,
Don't know, don't care. Don't use peoples real names on this blog.
Have some respect for this man's privacy. Are you an Ambulance Officer. I expect not.
SPIDER
Re Dave Higgins:
He doesn't have any privacy anymore nor deserve it. He has let us all down the fuckwit....
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/quake-hero-arrested/2007/12/14/1197568246231.html
Dear Poor Lost Souls,
How about we leave David alone to sort his issues out in private with his legal team?
Please don't forget that he is innocent until proven guilty and will be judged by a jury of his peers in a court of law.
We, his loyal union work mates, are already making moves to assist him.
I just wonder how much he has been through in his exemplorary thirty year career with the ASNSW to get to where he is now?
How does a respected multi skilled clinician end up being accused of this?
One too many SCAT jobs?
One too many cardiac arrest?
One too many times working on his own as a paramedic?
Too much back stabbing by his co-workers?
Too much overtime helping the community?
Too little support from his supervisors?
Not enough time enjoying the good life with family and friends?
No assessment system to support him when [and if] he was going wrong?
One too many re-certs?
Where does it all end?
Please just back off and leave him alone.
I would expect that the lines to the HSU would be running very hot at the moment in support.
Don't forget how the Queensland Police Union stuck behind their accused Snr Sgt when he was charged with murder for the Palm Island incident.
Please let's not go down the usual path where we gang up on a fellow ambo and hang them out to dry.
We are far better than that.
Don’t forget you could be the next one in the dock.
P.A.P.
P.A.P
Well said P.A.P. I may not agree with you about some issues but I am behind you comments this time 100%.
Let’s leave the guy alone. He and his family have been through enough.
SPIDER
Likewise P.A.P ..... I too, do not always agree with what you say, but you are dead right with this one.... It could have been any of us...! God knows how many ambos i have worked with over the years who have confided in me, their many problems and close they have come to totally losing it !
Especially when there is absolutely no support from our pathetic union !
Keep me posted... cos if they provide support for him, then i will know exactly what i have to do to get the fuckwits to support me !
I joined the job with Dave and he was always a happy go lucky kind of bloke to me but I know how I feel after all these years in thuis job and I know there are some days when I want to just walk away. I got diagnosed with PTSD by a qualified psych but the service doesn't recognise it so I just keep plugging along. Yeah leave the guy alone and lets give him the support he deserves. Who knows who will be next. One thing next week it will be Dave who? Nobody gives a shit about the individual least of all our bosses. Long as they get their huge pay packets each week that is all that matters in the meantime we keep working for our shit pays....
It's about time we started to support each other both mentaly and finacially, the ASNSW chose not to recognise PTSD or any other anxiety that we as officers eventually suffer from. They say thar IPS will help then say we cant' or won't compensate you if you are actually diagnosed with a disorder. The events of the past couple of days just proves we have to look out for our brother officers or we will be nailed by the service. The Illawarra are trying to start up a fund to assist officers when serious illness or accident happens, lets hope the service assist when asked to transfer the funds from the officers pay
can anyone tell me what is happening with the death and disability scheme we were supposed to be getting. did we get it?
Yes Alison the D&D is all but up and running and we have been informed that if any one has a claim they should contact HSU in Sydney or ASNSW industrial dudes to set it in motion, good luch with it.
Remember everyone if you need legal representation you now have to pay for it.
HSU has not broadcast this change for obvious reasons. I would expect most ambos have not even been told by their sub-branch.
HSU remains to form. They don't think we need to know about this important change.
HSU's management and sub-branch delegate buddies shit on us again while most of you pay for the privilege.
Would any HSU cronnies like to comment? I doubt it.
SPIDER
Yes the fact that HSU will now only cover us poor old sods for work cover or unfair dismisal claims, the rest you fork out yourself. This sucks even though the McClellend mob they used to use were like tits on a bull ....useless
Poor lost souls,
It’s Christmas you know...Please lighten up a little.
Why not find out who hasn't had a Christmas off for a while and offer to do their shift for them?
Let's change our uncaring culture by contacting someone that you don't really like and wish them a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year?
Think about it...What a bloody pleasant shock they will get with that one!
That bastard "such and such" had the temerity to ring me and ACTUALLY wished me a Happy Christmas and also asked how I was these days.
Cheeky bastard!
Try contacting a fellow ambo who is currently in strife, may be down and out or in need of a friendly "hello."
It may make the difference between them returning to work or a suicide.
It’s true, a fellow ambos life may well be in your hands.
I have seen many humbling acts of incredible bravery and generosity to complete strangers while also seeing cruel and uncaring behaviour being displayed to our own fellow ambos who we work with every day of the week.
Both behaviours make this balding old man's tired eyes shed far too many tears.
We can't blame anyone for this culture other than our collective selves.
Think of the wonderful effect if every ambo rang just one other ambo and wished them well, happiness and joy.
Let's change it all for the better! We can do it!
Christmas can be a difficult time for our community and our ambo family as well.
Don't forget that the majority of our disasters occur during this period.
Cyclone Tracy, the 1978 bush fires, Granville Train Accident, The Milperra Bikie Massacre and the north coast bus accidents are just a few that come to mind.
Please, be kind to each other. It doesn’t take much effort or expense.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
P.A.P.
HSU doesn’t play a progressive but a reactionary role to our problems. Nevertheless they still represent us and unfortunately uniformed management (your boss). They must think that we are blind and do not see this blatant anomaly to the historic role of a trade union.
But what is to be done? Ambos say to themselves: The HSU is bad, but without it things might be even worse. It is the psychology of being in a blind alley. Meanwhile, the HSU bureaucracy let us down ever more boldly, replacing internal democracy by the arbitrary action of “the clique” (management), in essence transforming our perception of them into a joke.
What do they expect.
Merry Christmas
SPIDER
Malone you are without doubt an arsehole
Spider.... ! theses Ambos you are talking about are no longer blind, thanks to this website and people like youself. The MANY facts that have now been posted on this site, prove beyone a doubt that the HSU is in fact really a sub-culture of our uniformed management.
I have it on good authority that ambos have been leaving the HSU in droves over the past few months and are in turn giving themselves a pay rise that the HSU never would !
All it is now going to take is the arrival of an alternate option and you will see the mass resignation of the rest... i speak to them on a daily basis and believe me when i tell you that the monent that happens....., HSU and all its corrupt little power brokers will cease to exist.
Anonymous,
Re: The MANY facts that have now been posted on this site, prove beyone a doubt that the HSU is in fact really a sub-culture of our uniformed management.
You got that right anonymous and thankyou for your comments. It's amazing how many dummies we have in this service that believe it's OK to be in a union with their boss. What is more amazing is that HSU and management have got away with it for so long.
SPIDER
Spider... ! they are not really dummies mate, You just have to rememember what that farse of a fucking Union know only to well... (That the most basic of human fear is to have an enemy to big to fight and the most basic desire is the need to belong !) and this is why even in the face of outright failure to perform and downright curruption within the HSU that most of these poor sods stay !
SAD REALLY ~, but they are waking up !
Anonymous,
Point taken. I was probably being a little bit too critical, but I also think that some ambos are too scared to speak out because they feel unconnected and unorganised. They feel in danger of being branded irrational or being labeled a weirdo especially challenging what has been going on for so long. This forum provides a haven for a norm-challenging perspective.
We need ambos to discuss and express their experiences, complaints and concerns. This process I think will somehow lay the foundation for organising initiatives to form our own union. Lets face it this forum is the only tool we have at the moment.
This forum isn’t about having a bitch it’s about the creation of ideas to solve a problem. What do you think?
SPIDER
Well, I must say that reading the comments on this site have been an incredible eye opener. I ve been paying my union fees for 25 years.The only person/people to represent me/us however has been myself/ourselves. Ambulance Officers and Ambulance Services achieve an amazing reputation and status in their communities simply by the continuous commitment, care and consideration they selflessly contribute to people that need our assistance. We make a big difference in the lives of others. We save life, we sometime risk our own live. We have babies named after us. We give people memories that they never forget. We provide an essential service that every community needs. We are the Ambulance Service. Surely nobody can represent us more than ourselves. I have worked in rural NSW, in every Sydney response area and now in Operation Centres. I have had the opportunity and pleasure to work with and train many dedicated, honest and decent officers of every clinical level. After reading the comments on this site I feel disheartened and ashamed that Ambulance Officers in this state can publish such personal and offensive comments. I don t care what your personal views are but you do not represent me. Some of the comments posted on this site by what often seem like the same people are disgusting. You have only achieved a misrepresentation of us collectively and tarnished our good name within the community. You have posted this rubbish on a site that all can read. How can you expect support when you sound like a pathetic bunch of whining unprofessionals ?? How can you people be so stupid and so ignorant?? Many old Ambos would be turning in their graves. I am not happy with our union either and am cancelling my membership in the new year. I will however do it quietly and professionally but in a way that has a direct impact on my sub branch President and other union officials. Our best work has always been done quietly in the background and usually before the media get on scene. We already have support. Nurture it in a way that is to our benefit. Utilize this site to educate the public not turn them away. And to the regular posters on this site please stop the whining and act like the professional Ambulance Officers that your meant to be.... otherwise, leave the best profession there is and go do something else.
Anonymous,
Good to see someone post at last with a point of view. I think you need to ask your self why are people posting on this blog. For kicks? For some sort of weird self-gratification? The answer my friend is TOTAL AND UTTER FRUSTRATION, shit pay, no equitable career path, putting up with elitists like Malone who have destroyed any chance of us having any sort of positive corporate culture. Have you bothered to read our last three corporate culture surveys.
Our union is in bed with management, in fact they are management. Our senior uniformed management is in our union. I will therefore continue to speak out about this obvious conflict of interest as long as this blog exists. Ambos are also sick of corrupt union executives sucking up to management to further their own pitiful careers at our expense.
Yes, there is dissatisfaction, there is frustration, but most of all there is a need to speak out.
Being an “ambulance officer” is something I am very proud of, but I will not tolerate in incompetent, underhanded, dishonest or corrupt individuals hiding behind my/our good name.
SPIDER
To Anonymous :- Well, I must say that reading the comments on this site have been an incredible eye opener.
I say to you, that it is the HSU you should be ashamed of, not the poor frustrated people hear venting years of pent up anger at a totally corrupt body of people who are supposed to be representing us ! You say you have read this blog ??? you need to read a little more my friend.... we have and still are being taken for fee paying fools ! where is all of our money going ?? where is the HSU's annual report ??? why should we have to fork out money if we need representation by the HSU, why are managers getting away with the constant bullying and harresment that they have for years .... wake up to yourself mate !!! they have had enough.... the HSU's resignations now number in the 100's !! these people have a right to be pissed off !
Spider ... you hit the nail right on the head !
Happy New year to all the ambos working a 14 hour nightshift in Sydney tonight for peanuts. You poor stupid bastards!
Come on guys.... we are getting closer ! look what Laurie said ......................Laurie said...
We should paste and send this link to every ambo in the ASNSW to get a good cross section to work from and then create a silent register of Ambo's willing to committ to begining a New Union called NSW AMBULANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION. We could still use the current award and extract the conditions into our own agreement.
Now, does anybody know how we can get this to all email recipiants (without getting sacked)???? because the main problem is only a few hundred ambos even know about this site... they still think they are alone.... and that nothing can be done ?
But if we do this, IT CAN !... we can do better....MUCH BETTER !ONCE WE RID OURSELVES OF THE HSU.
I just emailed the Sydney Morning Herald appealing for some media coverage so we can get the public on board. I gave them this website, although I know some of the posts here make us look pathetic who cares. We're angry and fustrated and people talk shit, ambos or not, thats life.
I CC the email to real ambo. I don't know what good it will do, but I wanted to take some form action, even if it's only miniscule, its better then sitting on my hands complaining.
Can someone tell me what the conspiracy is about sending the link to this site via ASNSW email? I didn't even know about them supposedly blocking the email or it going to the junk folder. I sent this link in an email to some people from my class a few weeks ago from work. I got a reply from one re this site so he must've gotten the email ok...
Stand united!
AJ,
There is no worries emailing this sites URL to friends to or from a work computer. You just can't post on it while your at work.
Blah Blah Blah,I havent read this site for 2 months and its good to see the same old ones on there saying the same old crap!!!!(spider)for example.
You all had your chance to leave the union,you have had your chance so many times in the last 2 months its not funny.
But yes you are all still in arent you!!
Well nothing will change untill there is no one left in the HSU.
And even then nothing will change either brcause no one has enough guts to put bans on and stick to them!!!
Do you really want a pay rise and better conditions,,,,NO it doesnt look like it to me.
Well have fun working for crap pay and even crappy conditions.
You are all idiots and have no ideal at all about standing united,its a joke.
I bet you all still have the same delegets in place that you had in when they accepted the 4% for you on your behalf!!!!!!
Well you wont see a pay rise in May08 and as for only a few Ambos knowing about this site,well thats crap.Many cant be bothered to write on this site anymore,,,whats the point when know one wants to listen anyway.
Dickheads,and that is what the public thinks too!!!!!
EX EX AMBO
EX EX AMBO,
Re: You all had your chance to leave the union,you have had your chance so many times in the last 2 months its not funny. But yes you are all still in arent you!!
Wrong , I’m not in the union.
Re: And even then nothing will change either brcause no one has enough guts to put bans on and stick to them!!!
Ultimately bans etc are up to Williamson not ambos. Wrong again.
Re: Dickheads,and that is what the public thinks too!!!!!
I’m sure everyone thinks their local ambo is a dickhead. Golly gosh ex ex ambo you know so much stuff I’m perplexed, stuff that’s erroneous but stuff I guess. Bye Bye silly ex ex ambo.
SPIDER
EX EX AMBO
You are spot on
(except for your last line, which I'll put down to your shear frustration over the years)
Nothing will change while we have the same gutless delegates.
You will not see a pay rise in May.
They will find nothing against the Service in the review, as the HSU was to gutless to Demand Willis Take no part. Regardless of what they tell you they caved.
We have to many suck holes in the job to ever stand united.
I would probably be upset about all this if I was going to make a carear out of it.
I have got what I wanted out of the Service, some extra pieces of paper to fluff the Resume.
I notice on the news tonight that the Construction industry will be looking at industrial action soon for pay increase.
Watch them get it. Won't take them 3 years either.
Soon Ex Ambo
Soon ex ambo,
Re: We have to many suck holes in the job to ever stand united.
Should read: We have too many senior uniformed managers in our union so we can never stand united.
By the way Willis is a paying member in HSU, your union...do you think he has more clout within HSU than you or your silly little union delegates. Of course he does.
Dear poor lost souls,
RE: December 28, 2007 11:37PM
Your words are not only "spot on" but also true and clear.
Its a bloody shame that some just dpn't want to listen to some of us older ones.
We have a few good tales to tell about unions, managemnt and all of that.
P.A.P.
B1, B2 ......
If thats true about emailing this URL to all work emails, then why dont you email everyone..... and I mean everyone and ask them to 1) make a short comment and 2) Vote !!!
That and that alone, will be not just one more, but several more nails in the HSU coffin !
Anonymous,
It would be a brave man to email this site to all the global addresses on a work computer. I don't think management would be too impressed....and remember B2 and I arn't to clever...we are just bananas running up the stairs and chasing teddy bears.
Well its great to be back after the christmas break. Another year has just started .well the question must be asked,is this the year we finally get some positive change within the service.
Well the only way that this can happen is If we get rid of Malone and his band of bumbeling fools.
For to long this incompetent want to be elitist has been at the helm of education to promote his own career and interests.
when i started in the job the the guy was absolutely hopeless on road but knowing the whos who of management he has arse licked his way to the top!
what hope do junior officers coming through the ranks have with this idiot at the helm!
education is a joke the whole department is in a shamble.
back in my day you either passed or failed in exams, the talk on the street is that rozelle is that under staffed and the so called educators are pushing students through that have clearly failed the course.
once again malone and his merry men are responsible, do you think that they would be happy having officers that cannot pass exams to be on road to treat his family members.
not to mention the kick in the guts to the officers who devoted alot of time to pass the exams..
lets hope we get a decent pay rise
sickofgivinga!!!!,
Well, well, well never a more acurate or intelligent blog has ever been posted on this site. Well done. This clown Malone has played a huge part in tearing apart morale and shattering peoples dreams in this service for nearly 20 years. He wouldn’t make an ambos bum hole let alone be in charge of their professional development. Oh boy could I tell you some stories about his days on the road!!!!.
Sickofgiving you got that right my friend.
SPIDER
Spider!! I think the proof in the pudding will be shown when the final decision is giving on our "work value case" My bet is another 4 percent. MUCH less than what the HSU delegates are spruiking. Mate, I would love to be proven wrong and think that anything less than another 11 percent would be acceptable given extra skills and our value to the community (deckhands on Sydney ferries get around 80K) I am not holding my breath.
Surely if there is not a significant pay rise, people would pull their heads out of the sand and give HSU the flick.
I mean't anything less than another 11 percent would be unacceptable!!
you wont see 11% or will you see 4%.this claim will go on and on,because the HSU and the svc are adding more stuff to the claim.This is so it will hold it up even longer.As for the public thinking we are dickheads,,,,I didnt mean they think we are dickheads,only dickheads for the fact we do not take a stand or stick to our bans!!!!!
why shouldnt they think that.Have you ever heard of a pay claim going for 3 years? no
No decent union would let this claim go for so long.I cant believe that so many ambos have let it go on so long!
It is truly amazing.You relly do only have yourselves to blaim.Stop thinking of the public,do they pay your morgage (if you have one).
Only mugs are good citizines,and they are over worked and under paid.
Does that sound familliar!!!!!!!
EX EX AMBO
Waste of 21 dollars,
Yep should be interesting what the outcome of our work value case is. From what I have heard around the traps the service did offer 15% for P1’s, 10 % for frogs and the poor old level 4’s 1% a couple of months ago. I reckon the reasoning behind the 1% for level 4’s is that level 4’s always get shit on......so why should we stop with the pay rise. Thank god the offer was knocked back. What will we end up with in the end is anyone’s guess.
The pay rise should be just about the same for everyone, but I would expect any future offers will be further delayed with HSU and the Service arguing over who gets what. Various delegates with their own agendas will all lobby for the biggest piece of the pie, yada yada, yada. As you said it could go on for years and years.
With the huge number of resignations from HSU lately, HSU may even insist that the pay rise only applies to HSU members only. My bet is they will play this card.... let’s wait and see.
RE: Giving HSU the flick.
I don’t think it is possible in the near future even with everyone on board. They have their claws firmly lodged in us and have too many connections up the big end of town. They would threaten us with losing what we have now, allowances, call-outs etc .....that’s what they did when we tried to get rid of them 20 years ago.
SPIDER
Lets be Fairdinkum, What other industry stands by and watches its members work 14 hours and only get paid for 13.
That says it all.
A couple or reporters from the Sydney Morning Herald have contacted me and asked for my phone number as they have taken an interest in our cause.
While I think this is fantastic as we could really get some public support and awareness happening, I have only been in the job since early 2007. I would really really love to get some contact details for current or ex ambos who've seen, heard and experienced a lot more industrial crap then myself and would like to talk to the SMH...
Spider? Pap? Realambo? Ambo wives? ANYONE???
Please contact me at action_annzy@hotmail.com
Here may be small chance to DO something constructive, please stop spouting hot air and contact me or contact the reporters directly: KBenson@mail.fairfax.com.au or AWest@smh.com.au
Ms Benson told me in her email that she posted on this site approx 2 mths ago asking for Realambo or others to contact her but heard nothing... typical I say, someone wants to help, and no one wants to talk... She told me she's been waiting and waiting for an ambo to contact her! The more people that get in on this and email her or Mr West with their concerns, issues, experiences etc, the more chance we can get a message out there and gain the public support we need.
Please start acting and standing united!
Poor Lost souls,
Dear A.J.,
You won't get anyone to speak to the media.
The ASNSW is all powerful because the Labor Government has pretty well muzzled its public service by placing its own cronies into key positions.
I know a friend who complained about the ASNSW investigating crime and potentially corrupt police officers, drunken ambos and property theft.
He eventually got the sack, the HSU did nothing and his sub-branch passed a motion not to support his during the unfair dismissal claim.
He never persued it as returning to his job may have cost him his health.
Harassment? What Harassment?
His supposed workmates
hid his ambo keys, wouldn't talk to him on shift, left the room a she entered it, wouldn't make him coffee and wouldn't call him out for assistance.
They then spread rumours about him in his community.
Corruption? What corruption?
P.A.P.
So everyone is on here whinging and bitching but in the end we can't do anything and its hopeless...
So the point of this blog and everyone on here posting is exactly, what?
People are too scared to talk, too scared to email a link, too scared to start a new union, too scared to leave the old! This is ridiculous!
If only a few people got together and spoke out, can they sack all of them? They could probably try, but wouldn't that look pretty, umm, corrupt!? Wouldn't the public, the media, some other ambos out there... somewhere! have something to say about it?
I keep hearing this story and that story about how ambos have ben sacked or harrassed for trying to do the right things, but they stories seem to feature one ambo... It looks pretty foul if 4 or 6 or 15 ambos are layed off! Thats why we need to do something collectively.
If you think its all pointless and will cost our jobs, what's your suggestion? Sit here and complain?
While they think they've got us all too scared to even sneeze, they'll keep screwing us again and again...
AJ,
You sound keen as mustard, that’s great but wait until the outcome of the current investigation into the service is over and published for all to see. Remember the Executive is also doing a separate report. Maybe it may also highlight some interesting issues.
As for contacting the Media. In my experience the media can be a strange animal. I’ve seen it put it’s own spin on different stories and the truth for a whole lot of different reasons.
I have confidence that this new inquiry into the service may finally highlight the problems associated with having management and the rank and file in the same union. You know…….like corruption and coercion. For example looking after union delegates that say and do the right thing. So for now I think the most prudent thing to do is wait before contacting the media. That’s my opinion anyway.
SPIDER
Thanks Spider,
Nice to feel some form of positivity.
Would you yourself however, be wiling to speak out as far as the media is concerned after the equiry is all wrapped up? You obviously sound like you've been in the job many years and have a lot of knowledge on some of the issues plaguing us...
Because the enquiry is into the service itself, do you think that will unearth the issues to do with labour/HSU conflict of interest? Surely it wouldn't hurt to heighten the media's consciousness re Williamson and Thomson...
By the way, did you guys know that Michael Williamson used private emails of HSU members a few days ago to try and encourage people to vote for his son's band in some Triple M competition!? Talk about abuse of power! Whats new...
Can someone also please shed some light on what went on with the AEA? Someone mentioned trying to get them to take us on but it wasn't possible, or that HSU found out and told them to butt out...??
Stand united!
Oooops, more Qs:
Spider, what happened 20 years ago re HSU and giving them the flick?
Can someone tell me exactly when the wage claim began? How many years ago? Any web link to an article or something would be great!
Stand united!
Poor Lost Souls,
Dear Spider and AJ,
The current investigation is doomed to fail for a number of reasons. Please allow me to clarify them.
Ms Kruk was appointed Director General of Health after the Department of Health failed to attract sufficient quality applicants despite advertising world wide.
Prior to her appointment, Ms Kruk was working as a high level staffer in the Policy and Planning section of the NSW Premiers Department. Her background is as a practicing psychologist and senior public servant.
After repeated claims by the HSU Hunter Sub-Branch officials of intimidating behaviour by Allan Loudfoot towards local union officials for workplace harassment, a high level meeting was held in the offices of the then Minister for Health The Hon. John Hatzistergos.
The meeting was attended Allan Loudfoot, Mick Willis, Greg Rochford, Robyn Kruk, Minister Hatzistergos and Robert Macgregor. HSU was represented by Michael Williamson, Dennis Ravlich and Peter Mylan. I can’t remember if Gerard Hayes [HSU organiser] was also present.
It was as open and frank a discussion that can be held by people of the same ilk. At one time it was clearly noted that the tea cup held by Allan Loudfoot made several loud clanging noises as he was spoken to in no uncertain words about his actions.
No much happened, other than the sacked Hunter union official was re-instated by the IRC. When he returned to work Loudfoot presented him with new complaints about his clinical expertise and still fends off continual and unfair complaints whiles he remains a good union official just doing his job representing his work mates.
Loudfoot came over to Australia because Mick Willis offered him the Divisional Mangers position. Willis liked the way he works. Both worked in New Zealand together.
Loudfoot is known as a “change agent” and union basher who maintain work place harmony by intimidating union officials. Ask any of the Hunter officials.
“Keep quiet and we’ll leave you alone, speak up and we’ll get you one day” is his mantra. He appears to live up to his reputation.
Robyn Kruk was loudly criticised in the main stream media especially one famed TELEGRAPH article which was scathing of her handling of the Macarthur Area Health Service’s stuff ups. It wasn’t the clinical issues that was focussed on; rather the way in which the whistle blowers were intimidated by Health and the state health minister of the day.
Former Deputy NSW Police Commissioner Dave Madden [remember he stuffed up with Bulldogs and the Coffs Harbour rape case against Willie Mason] now works for Health. Mr Madden investigated complaints made against Rochford for inappropriate behaviour and intimidation towards ASNSW staff. He found the allegations proven and yet Rochford is till there.
The media made accurate comparisons of Kruk’s huge salary while still stuffing up her department and Police Commissioner Ken [aka uncle Ken] Maroney who was doing a great changing the NSW Police Force but still received the same money as Kruk.
The current investigation’s terms of reference are basic and set in concrete to fail. The main reason is because too many heads will roll for it to fail. A health consultant has been hired to be involved at a high level providing expert operational advice to the committee.
Guess who?
Robert Macgregor. Remember him?
He was the once CEO of the ASNSW who personally seconded Greg Rochford from the Western Area Health Service as his replacement CEO.
As Deputy Director General of Health [Operations], Macgregor was also responsible for nurses and the ASNSW.
Under his style of leadership, Health received many a well deserved black eye.
I know they [Health] tried many times to counsel him to the error of his ways, but he wouldn’t either listen or change his ways. Health couldn’t get rid of him because he is too well known in the industry and is closely linked to the Labor Party.
Industry sources indicate that he never applied for the Director of Health job because he expected that a change of government would see him removed.
He presided over a failed ASNSW Board – and even recommended they be dismissed. Yet he was the one who made the appointments to that Board, was on the Board and guided its decision making processes.
He was also responsible for not allowing any retired sworn officer to the Board of Directors, and pressured Sydney Operations Superintendent Bob Morris to hand over the funds from the Provident Fund to Health. Bob Morris told him where to go saying it was in effect private money and was sacked shortly after.
Intimidation? What intimidation?
Graeme Webster and the [heavily criticized] brothers set the fund to provide emergency money to an ambulance officer’s family in the event of their death. Many a grieving family has been helped by this fund.
Labor has since been returned to office, Morris Iemma is now Premier [ex Health Minister], Hatzistergos is the Attorney General, Kruk has since returned to the Premier’s Department as Director General, Policy and Planning report directly to while Rochford, Loudfoot and Willis are still in situ.
The now retired Macgregor has been hired to guide the inquiry up his shingle as a health consultant to guide an inquiry into his own stuff ups on obscene money and Michael Williamson has been re-elected to the HSU.
Conflict of interest? What conflict of interest?
All that are responsible for the current debacle have moved into positions of greater power to influence its outcome.
The media is our only hope. Not the SMH, but real journalists like 4 Corners instead.
P.A..P.
Well said sounds like we need a Royal Commission into ASNSW
A.J. and P.A.P
P.A.P an interesting read don’t agree with some of it, but interesting never the less. A.J. Wage case has been going on for about 3 years. I might be interested in talking the media but not until the current investigation is over. I hope the report identifies the problems associated with having the rank and file in the same union as management. I believe there needs to be a strict divide between to interests of management and the interests of the rank and file. Lets wait and see.
Don't under estimate Greg Rochford, he is very intelligent guy. He has set up some very serious systems within the service to rid us of the legacy of corruption and nepotism “the brothers” left us. I know allot of people would disagree but he has done allot to help HONEST ambos. He cops allot of criticism but he relies on his specialist managers to get things right. For example he relies on people like Malone to provide equal opportunities for all ambos but he hasn’t for over 20 years. He has pretty much single handedly destroyed the value of the“Experienced Officer” in this service which I believe is the main cause of our appalling Corporate Culture results. He has also maintained a culture of elitism and has allot to answer for.
There are so many young inexperienced ambos promoted to Level 5 Paramedic in Sydney it’s a joke. Some of them have even gone on to fail their P1. These “Paramedics” are now starting to filter into the country stations where veteran ambos have not had the same opportunities. Imagine being in the job for over 20 years and still being junior clinically to some of these young paras.
Good for morale? No!
Good for an ambos self esteem? Well no!
Does it make you feel valued by your employer? Certainly not.
This is not a recent issue as I said it’s been going on for over 20 years and still people wonder why our Corporate Culture Surveys are so appalling.
It’s pretty funny really if you think about it.
SPIDER
P.A.P do you know why HSU got so upset when they found out Willis was participating in the current review into the service. I do.
Does anyone know who the Ops Manager at the NOC angels are. He keeps refering to them as such. Hello perhaps the staff officer and companion are getting the staff if you get my drift
Freedom of speech should be available to all, including employees. When employees in government or industry are inhibited from speaking out through fear for their jobs, society suffers. Powerful organisations that claim to serve the public interest should be able to tolerate critics. Indeed, they need criticism to make them more effective.
http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/99wh.html
P.A.P, as Spider stated, very interesting stuff indeed! By the way, why is it that you know so much, in sooooo much detail? That, I find more interesting then the details themselves that you gave us....
I agree 110% with you on your call about 4 corners. They are REAL journalists and they are fantastic when it comes to investigating and reporting the truth. They are more of a national investigative program but I have emailed them anyway. What about you P.A.P.? Have you sent them an email? And that goes for everyone reading this! Email them, here's the link:
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/contact.htm
Also contact GetUp!
http://www.getup.org.au/about/contact/
Stop bitching and complaining, start doing SOMETHING! Even little things like this, the more people that contact these organisations/programs etc. the better and more likely they are to look into our claims and unrest! You can remain anonymous for 4 corners if you wish and you can give a nickname and private email for GetUp!
Spider, I don't think I have been in the job long enough to know enough about Rochford to judge him. But with everything else you've said, I agree! I think its great you are considering speaking out after the enquiry, atleast that more commitment than I've heard from anyone else! And tell me, (and everyone) why was HSU so upset about Willis participating in the review???
I did end up speaking to Kate Benson at SMH (KBenson@mail.fairfax.com.au or mob 0424 952 020) Considering my piss weak pay and morale to match, I don't think I care that much if I get hunted down and sacked!
Kate seems to have been following our cause for quite a while. She has been on road with NSW ambos and has been a regular at RPA ED witnessing the ridiculous banking up of ambulances. She is very committed to keeping people safe and protected if they choose to speak to her. She said she spoke to a lot of people during the Royal North Shore saga and her priority is always to protect people that have the guts and are willing to speak to her. She realises that its no good to anyone if nurses, doctors, ambos etc. get sacked for the sake of a story! She's very easy to talk to, very understanding and very eager and desperate to speak to ambos in the brunt of all the shit (Read, Sydney, Woolongong, Newcastle) Please consider it people!
As long as you tell NO ONE what you're doing, no one can dob you into management. And seriously, you should trust no one! Amazing what your trusted workmates might do for a promised step-up in the service...
Again I ask, what happened Spider when the ambos tried to give HSU the flick 20 years ago?
And again, to the person who posted that AEA couldn't take us on. Besides HSU apparently getting on their case, WHY NOT?
P.A.P and Spider, do you two think there would still be any advantage in getting this site's weblink sent out to the whole ASNSW? (If it could/would be done...)
Stand united!
Spider I cant believe after all these years in the job you still have faith that this "investigation" is actually going to come up with the answers that we want... do you still believe in the tooth fairy or Santa clause I ask? If we go to the media NOW then the service will be forced to actually take part in the investigation instead of it being a big front. I would bet my next miserable pay packet on the outcome of this investigation being NOTHING.... As so many people have already said if we sick together then they can not sack all of us it is about time we all grew some balls and stood up for ourselves instead of waiting for our pathetic union and government to do it for us
CHEERS
DjHi
DjHi,
Thank you! Thats exactly what I've been trying to say! Safety in numbers, they can't sack us all.
Here's the contacts/links AGAIN:
~ Kate Benson Sydney Morning Herald:
KBenson@mail.fairfax.com.au
Mobile - 0424 952 020
~ 4 Corners:
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/contact.htm
~ GetUp!
http://www.getup.org.au/about/contact/
How easy's that, right in front of you! It's not worth it if I'm the only one contacting these people, I'm only one person. So please take it upon yourselves to act now! Safety and action in numbers.
As I mentioned before, Kate is extremely committed to protecting us. You can be anonymous with 4 Corners, and you can give a nickname and private (even set up a new) email to send to GetUp!
If anyone else has suggestions of people/programs(Do not even think about ACA!)/organisations etc... Post them here with links or email addresses!
Stand united!
AJ,
Re; Again I ask, what happened Spider when the ambos tried to give HSU the flick 20 years ago?
Sorry I didn’t get back to you. When I started over 23 years ago it was a fairly recent event. It was talked about regularly by a number of ambos, I believe it to be true but don’t know too many details leading up to the event. I’m sure there would still be ambos in the job with a better recollection than me. Sorry about the lack of detail but I have no reason to believe it did happen.
Re: A.P and Spider, do you two think there would still be any advantage in getting this site's weblink sent out to the whole ASNSW?
Yes. You might find an old ambo willing to give detail re your question above. There is a lot of experience out there. I have heard that during the investigation into the service there will be an email address that ambos can use to also speak out. I don’t know if it is anonymous though.
I will post soon addressing your other questions.
SPIDER
AJ,
Correction to my last post: Sorry about the lack of detail but I have no reason to believe it did NOT happen.
AJ,
Re: why was HSU so upset about Willis participating in the review???
Many years ago people in high places started to realise what the “Brothers” were up to. They started to understand that having everyone in the same union, including senior uniformed management gave the Brothers ultimate power and also created a maze of ongoing industrial relation problems for Rozelle to deal with. The Brothers ran Sydney Division, formally CDA, which ran the rest of the State. The Brothers didn’t like anyone from Rozelle telling them what to do.
With the help of the rank and files own union, HSU, they could do what they wanted. They could blame the CEO, the Executive or even the Board for anything that went wrong in the service. However, most of the things that did go wrong were generally through there own incompetence as they had control. At one stage we where losing a CEO on average once a year. I think they even had the board sacked through HSU’s political and media connections. They wanted to keep control.
Anyway, James McCloughlan (?spelling) was recruited from New Zealand to address the problem. McCloughlan was hit hard politically and in the media, with all the usual shit, but he managed to create the Ambulance Services first real published Code of Conduct. It was only about 4 or 5 pages long. But oh Boy!!!!!!!!!!!! did it piss the brothers off!!!!!!!!!! . Their power was finally being challenged and they didn’t like it. McCloughlan left the service not long after.
Anyway to answer your question Willis was seen at the time to be McCloughlan’s young protegee and was certainly outside the Brothers and Williamson’s circle of trust. All the Big name Brothers have finally been sacked or got rid of but there are still some uniformed managers (HSU members) out there who hold a grudge. I believe that’s why HSU didn’t want Willis involved.
Greg Rochford has since arrived on the scene to strengthen McCloughlan and Willis’s earlier work. God love him.
SPIDER
Poor lost souls,
Dear Spider,
There is an element of truth to some of your arguments.
Yes, we were seen as a closed system and certainly not conducive to external change and set in many of our ways.
Yes, James McLaughlin was brought in as a change agent, an outsider if you will with excellent qualifications.
Jim is impeccably qualified with a PhD and once operated his own ambulance service in the USA.
He was widely respected as a person of high integrity, a person with excellent conceptual skills and quite a shy man.
You could ring him [at home too] and discuss an issue that you felt important enough.
His left his own home phone number in the white pages for his staff.
Jim was the first to be elevated to the esteemed position of State Superintendent/CEO. A position that he held until he, together with the former Finance Director, Mr. Chris Lamont, were sacked for withholding officers' superannuation funds in the operating and expenditure funds of ASNSW.
To do so is actually illegal and both were almost slapped with criminal prosecution because of their actions.
The only thing that saved their hairy arses was that the trsnsfer of funds wasn't for personal use, rather to prop up the dismal and inoperable budgets that were handed to them by Health.
The ASNSW was forced to accept an outside CEO because Health said that no ambo could run the Service. True enough with the conditions and restraints that were imposed on our senior uniformed managers.
But when a new CEO came on board, guess what? Budgets were increased; they became tagged to certain requests that were denied to both Jim and Chris.
This explains why our budget steadily increased under unsworn CEO's as opposed to sworn CEO's.
You must have heard of the acronym "funded to fail"?
This is exactly how Health pulls the control rods us.
If they don't like you, then they simply under fund you. It’s the same ploy that was used on most of the old Divisional Superintendents. All fell except for Graeme Webster who was able to present consecutive balanced budgets which is why Health could never touch him.
He was no crook either because ICAC also investigated him but could not touch him either.
He used common sense by allowing officers to use their long service leave early so that it didn't cause a budget blow out later in their careers when they attracted greater wage liabilities.
It’s not an uncommon managerial tool. Rather, it’s used by many sensible corporations to minimise the impact of a long term staff wages bill on their balance sheet.
The NSW Police use this method to allow staff to rest due to the high stresses of that profession which is what is was fought for by our union and finally implemented many years ago.
Rochford has asked for increased funding and he receives it because he is one of the Health brotherhoods.
The reason why we are the only service who doesn’t have a commissioner is because Health cannot come to grips with exactly what we do.
This is why previous CEO’s couldn’t manage us because they just don’t comprehend nor understand the very core nature of ambulance work.
Not only are we under funded and overworked, but we are also understudied and under researched too.
When was the last time that you read a peer reviewed paper on the work place culture of the ASNSW? Don’t bother, I can’t find one.
The fire brigades and the police have a managerial degree and an extensive program to groom their managers. Where is ours?
Our station officers don’t even have access to an in service accredited Certificate IV in front line leadership.
Rochford could implement such a course to give our officers cross parity to external qualifications, but he doesn’t seem to address this basic H/R issue of staff development.
You may not know this, but Health provides financial incentives and supplements to other NSW Area Health Services so that staff can complete MBA’s and other senior courses in work time and at the financial expense of the NSW department of Health.
Spider, when was the last time you did a course in leadsership, conflict resolution or time management?
Why aren’t our senior and aspiring managers doing such courses?
Its because Rochford simply won’t allow because they are a threat to him.
Don’t believe me? Then simply ask the H/R department of any Area Health Service and they will confirm my writings.
P.A.P.
Dear P.A.P.
As you said P.A.P it was a closed system and certainly not conducive to external change and set in many of their ways. I knew Webster when I was in Sydney he was a man with a great deal of character for sure. He not only ran CDA but I think you will have to admit he pretty much ran HSU as well. He was a mason (thus the term brother) I think Williamson might be one too. He adopted a similar modus operandi to the masons where the hierarchy relied on secrecy and submissiveness. Unfortunately it was also laden with nepotism. If you “played the game” as we used to say you would do well if you didn’t you were some how overlooked.
I’m not really well versed with all the stuff you talked about on funding but your writings were very interesting
I don’t know if I agree with this theory of yours of not having access to management courses because it might be a danger to Rochford. If you check out the Workforce Development Training Calendar February - June 2008 on the Intranet it has a number of the courses that you mentioned in your last blog. I would expect senior managers would also have access to these courses as well. I love a good conspiracy but I think you might be wrong in this case.
Do I think that the forthcoming inquiry will help. I hope so, I truly believe that Rochford understands the extraordinary work that we do as ambos and he wants to make things right. I think that he also understands that ambos demand people supporting them to have the same principles, integrity and accountability.
SPIDER
Poor lost souls,
So far under this regime, you now have;
1) No career pathway to be the top ambo and run the ASNSW as its head.
A new cop or firie can aspire to be their commissioner. We can’t be the state superintendent.
Why? Because Rochford and Health brothers say us ambos don't have the skills required.
How then can a former psych nurse eventually head us, yet a full time professional ambulance officers is some how deemed unable to?
2) Once available career pathways have been cut off.
Rochford's previous attempt to get civilians to run the sectors was quashed by HSU. Now he is reducing their numbers by having his super sectors, but increasing the numbers of D/O's who can't really do much anyway.
3) We fumble along without any form of appraisal system making the same old mistakes time and time again.
Rochford laughs at this practice which is actually illegal!
An employer has a duty of care to every employee to inform and to counsel them on their workplace behaviour(s) and performances. This allows for career progression, enhances a sense of being worthy and promotes open and fair dialogue between you and your supervisor.
When was the last time that you sat down with your boss and discussed your performance, how to improve it and see where you wanted to end up in five years together with a plan to achieve your aspirations and goals?
3) What ever happened to ambulance P/R?
4) Did you see Rochford attend a Dawn Service and have the temerity to stand next to the police and fire brigade commissioners laying wreaths for our Fallen? There was Whinfield standing in the background looking very embarrassed 'cause he doesn't run the ASNSW, Rochford does. Our Ceremonial Squad was noticeably absent.
5) Did you notice that at the formal "goodbye" to retiring NSW police commissioner Ken Maroney, we were absent? The NSW Fire Brigades attended, but not us?
What a bloody joke!
6) What happened to the formal evenings when we would wear our dress jackets? Just before Rochford stopped them, he insisted that senior staff wear suits and not the monkey suit as he is heard to call our once fine uniform.
Sorry, but Rochford is nothing but a transactional leader who can’t change his managerial methods to suit any given situation.
I yearn for a real boss that we can talk to. One who doesn’t have to be in the spot light all the time and who allows us to make meaningful decisions and to once again have ownership and to be empowered.
Leaders make other leaders.
We are being treated like the starving man – given a fish to eat rather that being shown how to catch a fish for himself.
What will happen when he leaves us? The new people just won’t know how to lead because they haven’t been shown how to. A new CEO from “somewhere” will be brought in, again.
A CEO strives to make themselves redundant. Yes, redundant!
They have their staff do their jobs with minimal impact from above. This is exactly how Warren Buffet runs his multi billion dollar empire.
“I tell the CEO what I want I a few sentences, and let them do the rest. The more that I interfere in their duties results in them learning less.”
Rochford is the greatest threat that we have ever had. Look at his track record – its abysmal.
P.A.P.
P.A.P.
All that you talk about here, would NEVER have happened without the help of the HSU !... wake up to yourself... the only reason why we have no hope is because the rest of you are to scared to leave this corrupt sinking ship !
and help start a real Union that would stand up for its members and earn its fees !
Poor Lost Souls,
Dear Anonymous: January 15 2008 12:59 PM.
You are completely correct that the HSU has been complaisant, even a part of the slow degeneration of our once proud Service.
Good unions also represent the career aspirations of their membership.
Public service unions such the NSW Teachers Federation, The NSW Police Association and the Nurses Federation also look at the mangement and career structure of the organisation they deal with.
Their representations keep the organisations healthy. HSU has dismally failed with our career pathways.
Two years ago saw me taking the scenarios that I wrote [just above your comment] to a retired executive superintendent.
He said that he would never have tolerated what has been going on with Rochford and would have had HSU right behind him.
Quietly, I sent my union membership card to Michael Williamson over two years ago together with a lengthy e-mail explaining my resignation Peter Mylan.
To his credit, Peter did contact me, but was not able to change my mind.
I had over three decades of union membership behind me and was also a past sub branch executive.
Please understand that seeing sub branches denying the support of sacked members because of their unpopularity is a painful sight for me.
It would simply not have happened under Peter Clapham and would never have been tolerated by any other union.
The HSU has the temerity to actually CHARGE us additional service fees!
Now I am socially isolated and called a scab for not being in the union.
What do I do now?
P.A.P.
P.A.P
I sensed your emotion and your disappointment in your last post. You sound like a good person with a sense of honor and integrity but like many of us have been let down. You are completely correct a good union also represents the career aspirations of their membership.
There is no defined career pathway in the service but also remember Rochford relies on his specialist managers like Malone and McCarthy to devise a career path for us. I hope Rochford finally realises they don't know what they are doing. I fondly refer to these 2 clowns as P1 and P2, (penis 1 and penis 2), what a wonderful parody I could write……maybe next time.
P1 and P2 will always go on about training priorities saying it’s on an area needs basis and the same old psycho babble bullshit about station profiling blah blah blah. After 20 years of dealing with so much inequity and so many injustices I don’t take much notice of them anymore, same as everyone else I talk to. Ambos are tired of it, most ambos I talk to can just manage to say “it doesn’t surprise me anymore” and that’s it. They just wait for the next skill or drug to be posted out to them, bitter knowing that they will never reach the next level of training in the service, especially if they work in the bush.
SPIDER
Poor lost souls,
Dear Spider,
You are correct about ambulance education, but for the wrong reasons.
Dr. John Field, an eminent and widely respected university educator came to Rozelle to be the head of ambulance education.
His PhD was from a respected Australian university and one which was earned while researching highly theoretical electronics.
He was a visionary of note who took us from having sub TAFE quals to a Charles Sturt university degree, a highly respected university with strong education and research links to emergency services personnel.
Finally, through his leadership, we had our quals RPL'd at university level through a recognised degree.
Rozelle now becomes a campus of the university and we proudly wear the badge in our lecture rooms.
Finally, ambos have cross health industry parity and there clinical skills are recognised for other university graded courses.
In comes a new CEO, John Field is pushed out and in comes Malone.
To Graeme's defence, he was told to gain VETAB accreditation and to discard our hard fought university quals.
We lose our previous links with the university and here we are now...
Our paramedic [L5] skills are now accredited to TAFE and to VETAB standards.
None of them are recognised as RPL’d for a nursing qualification.
Charles Sturt now offers an ASNSW recognised Paramedic/Nursing Degree, but won't recognise the old quals.
Now, go outside with VETAB qual outside and see how you go. Good luck!
I have seen Rochford pound the table at one of his famous road shows and exclaim "...bloody academics!"
Not only did he just slander any educated officers, but also the education system together with the merit principle that he is supposed to adhere to and implement.
Remember in Sirens when we would see the list of the latest graduates in the Bachelor of Health Science (Pre-Hospital Care)?
Its all gone now. Rochford doesn't like educated ambos.
I have discussed this same issue with Graeme at great length. Please understand that he now reports to senior ex pom that failed his own PhD and has a dubious MBA together with Loudfoot and Whinfield [remember him]?
McCarthy is another story. A true "textbook paramedic" with very little road experience and external quals in education.
Firies graduate with a degree so do cops and nurses.
Our proud graduating ambos get a VETAB and TAFE qual. What a bloody joke our education has turned out to be.
Now, we have nothing to arm equip ourselves for outside work.
"Join the most respected profession, but you won't get a degree with us, you will have to attain it yourself" shoulbe on our stationary and e-mails.
Does the concept of self education sound like a familiar one?
You bet..Its just like health which treats nurses through self funding.
At least the police gives you access to a scholarship of sorts.
Once again its Rochford's health culture and the HSU working together.
Before you know it, you will be paying for your own "in service" education, uniforms and your paramedic course.
Spider, many thanks for your previous kind words, they are very much appreciated.
P.A.P.
rumours just out the service has offered 15% , 12 hour shifts and no late meals and call offs, the hsu will be stupid enough to accept, what a fucken insult
P.A.P
I understand what your saying but I’m talking about opportunities for your everyday ambo. The problem is equity in training opportunities. Once you leave Sydney there are no opportunities to progress to the next level of training. Sure they mail stuff out to you which just pisses people off more and more. Country ambos want recognition for what they do in the way of training to the next level. They want to feel that their work and experience means something. It doesn’t happen thus the continually poor Culture surveys. It’s really simple stuff if you think about it.
Moving onto something different. There are still so many inconsistencies with HSU it is nauseating. I’ve been reading in the paper recently how HSU is giving evidence at the IRC because officers are being forced to work alone. That’s right, it’s APPARENTLY unsafe to respond alone. APPARENTLY officers responding alone impacts on the quality of patient care and and can affect patient outcomes?
Is this something new, well no.
Has HSU done anything about it in the past, well no.
Has it ever been on a sub-branch agenda for PRIORITY ACTION for say the last say 5 or maybe 10 years, I Doubt it.
So why is it suddenly such an important issue now? Part of the answer is because HSU is trying to make some political points just as the inquiry into the service is about to start.
Does that make HSU inconsistent,well yes.
Shouldn’t member safety be the first priority of any union, I would have thought so.
Is it then obscene that HSU doesn’t care about officer safety and patient outcomes,no doubt.
But here comes the other part and tricky bit, why havn’t HSU done something about this dangerous problem well before this. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Can anybody out there guess? How about you P.A.P do you want to take a crack?????.
SPIDER
Once you arrive at a small country station as a level 3 or P1 that is all you can aspire to for the rest of your days. No level 4 anymore and no Level 5 unless you apply for it at a station offering it. If there is already one Level 5 on a small station then the service says you don't need any more. Plus you get to wear nice white paramedic epilettes while the 4's and 5's wear gold. White is the symbolof death so a 3C or P1 will die in the country before he gets the chance to progress any further. Great system isn't it.
Anonymous,
Yep. Well said, and your HSU sub-branch has done nothing to help you I would expect. Not on the agenda, like so many things I mentioned in my last post. Therefore so far, what have we got, HSU obviously don’t care about officer safety, patient outcomes and as you just stated an ambos career.
Just imagine this based on what we have learned so far. Your are an ambo who works a roster where you are forced to work alone, your workplace is dangerous, unsafe, a OH&S risk, and you are forced to watch people die because you just can’t do it all by yourself, and just to top it off you have no career prospects.
Is that a sad story or am I just getting silly and emotional.
SPIDER
Hi everyone!
Got this email from 4 corners today:
"Dear AJ,
Thank you for your email dated 9 January 2008.
Your program suggestion has been passed on to one of our producers for consideration. We may be in touch with you again if we feel we can take this matter further.
Thanks again for taking the time to write to us.
Sincerely,
Program Assistant
Four Corners
ABC Television
www.abc.net.au/4corners/"
So now I'm really appealing to you all to contact them! The more people the better, they might take everything a lot more serious if tonnes of Ambos email them! Lets get these issues into the hands of some decent investigative journalists and get them made massively public!
The link again:
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/contact.htm
Come on guys! Grow some balls and step up! We can't let this opportunity slip through our fingers. P.A.P. and Spider.... I'd be looking straight at you if I could see you! The blogs you two both write are pretty unreal, so get typing and write an unreal email to 4 corners.
Stand united!
Yep that is it in a nutshell. When I first started at my small country station I used to be sent out to do all hospital transfers on my own while the SO sat on the station and watched TV. Even after I hurt myself lifting a patient into the car on my own I was still expected to carry on on my own. The only way I was able to stop it was to just refuse to go. Although I was in a lot of trouble for 'refusing duty' I eventually won but the union refused to get involved saying that was just how it was. Meanwhile 40 minutes away there were 2 officers to a car every shift.
Poor lost souls,
Dear AJ January 17, 2008 10:26 PM
I will give this serious consideration.
What I have [in writing] may well bring the NSW government down.
P.A.P.
A.J.
I have confidence that enough ambos will email in and complain/protest about the fact that the rank and file (ambos) are in the same union as senior uniformed management. (all ambos should get the email address soon). This is the reason I believe we have so many problems, and contributes significantly to our poor Corporate Culture Surveys. Who wants to be in a union with their boss for fucks sake!!!
There is manipulation and coercion between management and sub-branch delegates that continually aims fire at the Executive and CEO instead of themselves (where the problems lay). There is manipulation and coercion between management and sub-branch delegates to maneuver things to look after their own interests, and not the interests of the ambos they are reputed to be looking after. And, sub-branch delegates sucking up to uniformed management to further their own lousy careers.
There needs to be a strict divide between the interests of management and the interests of the rank and file.
I also have faith that Greg Rochford might finally acknowledge this problem also.
THE TRUTH WILL FINALLY SET US ALL FREE!!!!
SPIDER
AJ: I’m waiting until the current investigation is over before considering anything else.
The Anatomist asks;
What makes a girl squirt during sex or other stimulation?
Answer
You mean ejaculate the same thing that makes boy squirt during sex or other stimulation on orgasm.
Answer
If a woman ejaculates ('squirts') during sex or masturbation it's often the result of G-spot stimulation (Skene's glands) though it can sometimes happen from a very intense level of clitoral arousal. The fluid ejaculated is natural lubricant. Intense erotic excitement may also result in urination, especially if the woman stimulates her urethra. For more information about the G-spot, use any search engine.
There is some disgreement about exactly what the fluid ejaculated is. Some websites state that, especially when a large volume of fluid is ejaculated, it is a mixture of lubricant and urine. More generally, there seems to be near agreement that whether or not a woman ejaculates doesn't affect her pleasure and that it is a mistake to treat ejaculation as the 'Holy Grail' of female orgasm. In other words, a woman can have a highly pleasurable Orgasm without ejaculation.
I know that you would all enjoy this and practice one on nights shifts.
The anatomist.
Poor lost souls;
Dear Spider and A.J.,
This is what the consultant that Greg Rochford hired for run the latest cultural survey has to say about its results.
The Ambulance Service of NSW (ASNSW) is one of the
many organisations that has set about changing its culture but is one of the few organisations that has not only succeeded, but has factual evidence to show exactly where their change initiatives have had most impact and where
they need to focus in the future.
The ASNSW partnered with SHL on the culture change
initiative, benchmarking the status before and after
adopting a number of change strategies. These strategies included developing a leadership competency model, conducting senior level assessment and development
programs, and then reating structural changes.
CEO of ASNSW, Mr Greg Rochford, commented, "We are really pleased with the results of the second culture study.
It shows that the strategies and initiatives we have introduced to change the culture and improve the leadership direction of the Service are beginning to have
the desired affect.
SHL's assessment has provided us with the objective data to show where we were, how we are changing and what still needs to be done from a culture change perspective."
Ambulance Service of NSW, Australia
http://files.unistel.co.za/general/shlBrochure.pdf
This document I downloaded directly from the consulant shows exactly what he thinks of how hsi leadership is progressing.
What a joke this enquiry will be!
P.A.P.
"MESSAGE TO AMBULANCE SERVICE STAFF
In relation to the review of the Ambulance Service of NSW by the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC), members of the review team are consulting with a broad range of stakeholders. Staff input is an important part of the consultation program.
The following arrangements have been put in place to obtain the views of Ambulance Service staff:
1. Both the Health Services Union and the United Services Union have been invited to provide formal submissions to the review.
2. Staff meetings will be held in each of the four Divisions with groups of randomly selected staff up to and including district officer level. Corporate staff from outside Operations Division will be represented at two Sydney meetings. These meetings will be held in late January/early February 2008 and discussion will focus on the issues covered by the review’s terms of reference, which have been circulated to staff.
The meetings will be attended and conducted by review team members and consultants assisting the review and only they, and the selected Ambulance Service staff will be in attendance. There will be no attribution to any individual of comments made at these meetings.
3. A separate focus group will be convened to discuss the handling of complaints and grievances by the Service. There will be further discussions with union representatives on the selection of staff for this meeting. The meeting is expected to be held in February.
4. An email address has been established to receive input from staff which would not be covered by the other consultative arrangements. Information provided will be considered by and kept confidential to the DPC review team. However, the mailbox is not intended to receive anonymous information or specific individual concerns.
The mailbox address is amboreview@dpc.nsw.gov.au. Receipt of messages will be acknowledged by return email, and the review team may contact staff to clarify or seek further information.
The support of Ambulance Service staff in the review is much appreciated.
Graeme Head
Deputy Director-General (Performance Review)
Department of Premier and Cabinet
17 January 2008"
Is this the email address you've been talking about Spider? Do you really think they'll take emails seriously? That whole email itself sounds like such a load of hot air!
I just loved how they mentioned stakeholders before us, the staff!
'Randomly selected' staff to participate - yeh right!
HSU is invited to make formal submissions - I'm sure their 'formal submissions' will be very worthwhile and reflective of how ambos feel - NOT
Spider I really think you should consider emailing 4 corners now, after the review will be too late! Strike while the iron's hot, what have you got to loose either way???
A.J.
Re: Do you really think they'll take emails seriously? That whole email itself sounds like such a load of hot air!
I think the best thing to do is wait for an outcome then make an informed decision. Same as for the four corners thing.
P.A.P.
You silly old sausage you keep on taking shots at my mate Greg. You seem to think he is the only one who does any sort of managing in this service. Rochford relies heavily on his specialist managers and yes some of them are dicks. I think you have to remember why he was appointed. To clean up corruption and maladministration that was rampant when the “the Brothers” had control, and to try and improve overall operational performance of the service, which he has done. Sort of like a parent cleaning up the mess because the kids couldn’t do it properly.
Prior to Rochford taking the reigns the ASNSW was on the verge of administrative collapse, there were even rumors of privatisation. The HSU and the brothers got rid of so many CEO’s it wasn’t funny. They even had a hand in sacking the Ambulance Board and god knows how many other executives.
Rather than take any heat themselves senior uniformed managers (Paying HSU members…..yes they are in our union with us), with the help of HSU’s political muscle and leaks to the media would point criticism at a CEO, at the Executive or at the Board to take away of their own incompetence, especially if that criticism was directed to their area of responsibility.
When was the last time you heard HSU criticise a senior uniformed manager….well never….why, because they are paying HSU members like us.
The HSU is poised again to try and do the same. HSU will try to drag up anything they can find to throw at Rochford and his Executive while this inquiry is on…….just watch. Watch and learn.
SPIDER
Is there anyone out there apart from a noisy few???
Yes
P.A.P and AJ,
I'm a little disappointed that you havn't had a crack at the question I asked at the end of my post on January 16, 2008 9:16 PM. It's not that hard. Ok then I'll give you a clue..."my homepage".
SPIDER
Poor lost souls,
The interface between clinical and administrative advancement is a complex one.
Basically, the underlying factor(s) affecting positive outcomes for both relies on the following;
(1) Exposure: Ambulance clinicians (as other health and non professionals) require continual exposure to cases to be effective and safe.
For example, a vascular surgeon needs to be exposed to a certain demographic group in order to maintain their minimum skill levels, accreditation to their relevant professional body as well as addressing certain clauses in their medical negligence insurance.
(2) The very nature of ambulance work, i.e., the often and unknown environment that we work in requires an effective formalised mentoring program.
Although we don't have a formalised program [despite Graeme Malone's best efforts to implement same], we do have quite effective informal ones. It’s called the station.
Ambulance and other emergency services personnel generally benefit and learn from each other during informal and unstructured sessions in meal rooms. This allows for free and frank discussion about what to do and just as importantly what not to do.
It forms part of our "knowledge and information management" that is idealised in ambulance folklore. You may recognise it also as the way in which native peoples pass down tales of their ancestors by way of song and talk from generation to generation.
It’s a valuable learning tool and the way you generally learn about how to manage those difficult and unusual cases.
In reality, you need [as does the vascular surgeon] exposure to a certain number of extraneous cases together with a mentoring program from experienced and respected peers to equip you to manage that unusual and perplexing case that just isn't covered under protocol.
This is exactly why the ASNSW required staff to have at least one recert for admission to SCAT and rural practice for our IC paramedics.
Not only has this practice has not only saved many lives, but also ambos arses as well.
Remember: Primum Non Nocre.
Personally, I believe that we are over skilled.
Just look at the amount of drugs that are discarded every month. With each skill that has not been used becomes harder for an ambo to recall and be considered safe in its application.
My dear friend Rik Shepherd astutely spoke about this very fact of on scene peer clinical support in an earlier blog.
Another pair of clinical eyes to help actually reduces the work load and unnecessary stress.
Why learn skills that you rarely use for the occasional patient?
It simply causes stress that is not needed. We [nor the wider health care industry for that matter] are able to treat all our patients’ ills all of the time.
I believe that many of our patients live despite our treatment and not because of it.
In reality, you can't expect to be a junior officer despatched to a small community and be expected to be as effective and skilled as a seasoned city based IC paramedic.
You wouldn't expect GP to do complex and invasive medical procedures which would be the clinical preview of senior surgeons?
Why would you expect the same from an in experienced ambo withoutt clinical exposre anda mentoring program?
P.A.P
Well Spider, I'm only guessing here...
HSU feel the need to act now due of the review because not giving a shit about members safety could possibly be frowned upon... even though they aren't being reviewed themselves, maybe they feel that the service could turn on them with this one or maybe they want to get in first and try to pin this safety issues on your mate Greg?
Really I think you should tell us your theory. As I've stated previously I haven't been around long and am quite detatched from HSU... P.A.P. wasn't bitting so I thought I'd have a stab.
Stand united.
P.A.P.
We were getting on so well and you had to spoil it with your elitist Paramedic Bullshit. People like Malone and his band of nitwits have fostered this type of attitude. If you remember State Superintendent Steve Winfield many years ago identified elitism in the ASNSW as a real problem and damaging to service culture.
Let me give you a simple example with the new epaulettes. Paramedic in white print for level 3, 3P1 etc, Paramedic in Gold print for level 4, 4P1 etc.
But ridiculously Level 5 Paramedic, in gold print, had to have the words “intensive care” Paramedic as well. So what does it mean?, surely everyone would have known their level with a separate colour just like the rest of us.
So who is it that needs to know the difference, their egos maybe?, maybe the public?. That’s it!, they want to show the public they are just a little more special than the rest of us.
Putting the “intensive care” part in front of Paramedic is just a wank with no operational value whatsoever. This type of thing fostered by elitists is what hurts our wonderful service's culture.
As for your comments about skills in the bush. You say that lack of exposure to work dictates skill levels required in the bush. I really don’t think that if I left the service and didn’t touch a cannula for say 10 years when I did pick one up I would say “I wonder what the fuck this thing is”.
It’s well known throughout educational and training facilities throughout the world that if a student is taught properly in the first instance they retain the skill or the knowledge pretty much forever. This combined with a professional recertification system, which we could achieve at a local level, through hospital placements, would provide no reason not to have higher skill levels in the bush. Furthermore, not all staff in the bush are so called “junior” as you say. Many have 10,15, 20 years experience. I am talking about senior clinicians who have been forgotten about by education and professional development.
Tell the parent of a young teenager, who has died effectively because they drowned in their own blood after a car accident, that you didn’t have the skills (intubation)to maintain and protect their child’s airway. Tell the mother their child died because you didn’t have the skills to clear their choking three-year-old’s airway. I have! It’s not much fun believe me.
There is no doubt countless patients have died because of lack of skills in the bush. Who takes responsibility for that, Malone?, McCarthy?, or maybe you want to P.A.P.
SPIDER
A.J.
Re: or maybe they want to get in first and try to pin this safety issues on your mate Greg?
That’s pretty good AJ. Well it’s part of it anyway. Firstly leave Greg out of it because these are local issues. Secondly management are happy not double crewing ambulances because it helps their budget and therefore they are seen to be performing well, seen as good managers, and have their performance contracts renewed. That’s that bit.
Then there is the unethical, sinister, dark and seedy side of it. HSU don’t lobby for more staff because having rosters with officers responding single allows some HSU members from surrounding stations to get a call-out allowance to back these single officers up.
So there you have it, management save money and some HSU members make money. You scratchy my backy and I scatchy your backy.
Meanwhile officer safety is jeopardised and patients die.
The oldest weakness of man detailed by the lord himself in the scriptures…….Greed!!!
SPIDER
P.S. I’m not religious but it just made it sound more intense.
SPIDER, you are on the money with your views of elitism. The main instigator for INTENSIVE CARE to be added to the epaulettes is the PISS an WIND HSU delegate from the HUNTER.
Any level 5 officer I know that is clinically any good does not go around winging about what is on their shoulder. They are confident in their skills and go about their duties without any drama, and you will notice that they are the Officers that our younger brothers aspire to.
You know I am right. How many jobs have you been on with a piss and wind level 5 and watched them incompetently fumble through the job and then try and tell bullshit stories after the fact to try and justify their miserable existance.
Winfield even admitted they got it WRONG in Sydney Metro. They recieved funding to pay for X amount of FROGS and they rushed them through. I know of Officers who failed the exam and still got on the reserve list to eventually take a gernsey.
The PARAMEDIC badge does not get any INSTANT respect from me, you show me that you are clinically and Mentally deserving of it.
And for you people who think I am a scorned P1, I am a level 5 officer.
who can't spell very well.
I don't wear the white epillette. I have been an ambo for 32 years and can never wear gold because of where I work so they can shove it up their arse along with the rest of the uniform. Trust them to appoint a dumb fuck level 5 to the fucking uniform comittee and get it so wrong after 12 years. How the hell is anyone from out west going to be able to stand to wear this piece of crap.
everyone in the bush has been forgotten we just get more skills more drugs don't get paid any extra i'm looking to get out of this ship of fools.
well well just what i thought
5% over 4years.Whoopi,just cant wait.I thought it was 20% increase over no years.I knew it was worth waiting for.
What a joke you delegates are,guttless,dickheads,scumb.
good on you arseholes,you all must be earning alot more than me,and dont say well you should stand up and be a delegate because I have been one for many years,but got out when there was just to many suck holes and i was standing alone.
this is a joke,we are working for f...ing nothing now.
Poor lost souls,
My last blogg seemed to have touched on an open wound regarding IC paramedics, ambulance education and rural skilling.
The issue of the continued dislike of IC paramedics is an old one and one that stretches across other industries as well. GD police hate detectives and the list goes on.
If you are different and recognised to have higher skills than your peers, then some will get envious. Its not just an Australian trait.
It’s the "tall poppy" syndrome. Us IC Paramedics were envied way back when I did my course with Bob Wright.
It really doesn't bother me at all as other similar were used against members of my fold in my coordination centre days and in my rescue days as well.
It just rolls off my back like water off a duck's back. It’s an example of green eyed jealousy on your ignorant part.
Nothing brought more positive and sustained change to the ASNSW than the introduction of IC paramedics.
Everyone wants to be one, few will put in the effort and few want to call for one.
You too can be an IC paramedic, just go to a rural station that has them or preferably, just go to Sydney, Newcastle or Wollongong, do your time and then after two years, go back to where you came from.
It’s pretty easy you know. You reap what you sew.
We had a 60% failure rate in my era. Now everyone passes.
Most of you whingers just want everything to be handed to you with little or no effort.
As for respect to be earned, well guess what, I really don't need it.
Provided my patients and clinical peers think that I am alright, then I don't care what you may or may not think of me. Get over it.
I was one of those responsible for the introduction of the intermediate life support designed for the bush ambos.
Prior to that, the clinical skills of most non IC paramedics was pretty well "zip."
I was also one of those responsible for introducing the MAST to rural officers.
Us IC paramedics encouraged rural skills upgrade and;
(1) The skills allowance for level 4 officers to be 75% of an IC Paramedics allowance.
The ASNSW wanted it to be nothing and they have since succeeded;
(2) Encouraged level 4 officers to proudly wear a badge signifying their clinical status. I notice that none of you criticise Levels 4's for wearing a clinical skills badge.
Why criticize us IC Paramedics then??? You approached us because you wanted one based on our design to emulate and to look like us.
(3) We considered allowing the Level 4 Officers to join the Paramedic Association after they asked to join it;
(4) We were pivotal in providing the on road training element for Level 4 Officers;
(5) Encouraged Level 4 Officers to join SCAT;
(6) Experienced and skilled IC Paramedics wrote your protocols into a useable format for long down times and long and extended transports.
Spider, as for telling a grieving family that their child choked on their own blood because you weren't allowed to intubate is simply revolting.
How dare you put this stress onto a grieving family you arse hole?
It’s no wonder that you aren't holding our highest clinical level 'cause you are obviously an idiot.
I never lost a patient through not being able to tube them. Basics, brother, basics such as position, fingers for solids, suction for fluids and then an adjunct such a Guedell’s airway and so on.
Read your protocols instead of wasting time on this blogg site.
The fact that some will actually believe your bullshit story makes me want to vomit.
There are plenty of seats on the PTO bus for creeps like you.
P.A.P.
P.A.P said...
(5) Encouraged Level 4 Officers to join SCAT;
The original Level 4's from the first SCAT course would be pleased to know you were so big hearted to let them join.
I remember a time when the Level 5's were pissed off because they had Intensive Care removed from their precious ambulances and the Rescue Trucks had Paramedic Rescue all over them. Hahahaha loved that one....
Poor lost FUCKWIT.
You showed your true colours with your last post.
Do you ever get sick of pissing in your own pocket?
Who do you think your clinical peers are?
Attaining level 5 in this job has nothing to do with merit.
I am not criticising level 5 Officers just Fuckwits like you.
Less than 2% of all casualty cases need I.C intervention and you have the hide to belittle our P.T.O brothers.
You are a HAS BEEN that NEVER WAS.
Why don't you tell us another story.How about how you designed the Maltese Cross and have the copyright and let the rest of the World use it because your such a top bloke.
P.A.P fuck'n SMEAR
Poor lost souls,
Dear anonymous January 22, 2008 11:37 PM,
I stand corrected...It was actually two level 3's [later to become level 4's] who actually started SCAT [originally known as Hazardous Environment Access Team HEAT].
Metropolitan Superintedent Jack Hawkins was horified when he saw footage of the Police Rescue Squad accessing an injured "jumper" off Sydney's notorious Gap.
Our ambos were at the top of the cliff waiting for the patient to be brought to them.
He quickly located two of our very best roping staff, seconded them and developed a world class team.
You will also notice that all Jack was interestrted in was the very best he could find and picked two non paramedics to set it all up for us.
A visionary of note, and one of "the brothers" so heavily criticized by Spider and his band of pathetic failures.
Paramedics were, in fact, an add on to provide appropriate care in lengthy cases.
It was through this group, that I am proud to be a part of [yes, I wear that badge of honour too], that saw the introduction of morphine to paramedics and eventually the ALS troops.
So, every time you give morphine or any other form of ALS care, its because of us paramedics.
I notice that you left your sarcasm for me and left Spider and his bullshit clinical comments alone.
Don't worry brother, I can handle your stuff. Is just green eyed envy.
I see your type every day.
You and your ilk are simply losers.
P.A.P.
Poor lost souls,
January 22, 2008 11:37 PM;
We tried for many years to have the term "Paramedic" placed on our units. So their placement is certainly not new and, no, we are not pissed off with the wording.
After all, we fought for the word Paramedic to be adopted by Bill Kelly when he got rid of Bob Wright all those years ago.
Previously we were known as Advanced Life Support Officers, a name that existed in our Award for many years. Current Lvel 4's were correctly known as Intermediate Life Support.
We also tried to have the words "Paramedic Rescue" on our rescue trucks but the State Rescue Authority wouldn't have it because it annoyed both the cops and firies.
Steve Whinfield who sat on the board tried vainly to change their minds but was out voted.
As for slating our PTO's...Its simply not true.
They are the hardest working of all us ambos.
I believe that a PTO should be the entry level for all officers as it will teach you how to speak to patients, how to make them comfortable and to weed out siren chasing cowboys.
From what I have read of late with good old Paramedic bashing makes me see that Greg Rochford's claims of changing amb culture as being incorrect.
We can't really grasp what being a team player really means now do we?
We can't seem to accept thatt all having positive and also negative behavious do we?
We can't seem to also understand that paramedics also came from non paramedic ambo ranks.
Some of us are better and more skilled than others. It's life brothers, let's get over the vanity and start supporting each other.
P.A.P.
I work on a 4 person station in the country. I am a P1 and I work with another P1 a level 4 and a level 5 and we all work together. We just do the bloody job and nobody gives a shit what the other person's level is. We are all just ambo's trying to do a good job. I think while ever everyone is bitching and moaning we will always be battling to get anywhere. I have personlly worked all over this state in nearly all aspects of it and have seen it all in my 33 years in this crazy job. Get over yourselves legends and lets band together for once.
Poor lost souls,
Dear January 23, 2008 10:20 PM;
Spot on brother...! This is exactly what I have been bringing to our collective attention.
We are all here for one person:
The patient.
I discussed in my earlier bloggs about being in a team and taking care of each other.
Remember chatting to someone who you may be having difficulties with?
Its the perfectt way to foster a caring kind of culture that makes our all too difficult job just that much easier.
Contacting a fellow officer who may be instrife, down and out or simply lonely may just save a job or even prevent a tragic suicide.
PLEASE let's start being nice to one and other and learn to accept our differences.
Come on, we can do it...!
P.A.P.
P.A.P
Re: Spider, as for telling a grieving family that their child choked on their own blood because you weren't allowed to intubate is simply revolting.
Being a parent myself, I believe a mother or a father should be told why there child died. I told them the truth. Telling them may save another family from going through the same grief. P.A.P. you seem to have a problem with the truth, and you call yourself an ambo….shame on you.
That child died because of elitists like YOU, people like YOU who want to keep very very very SIMPLE skills to themselves. Yes people, elitists like P.A.P will tell you different but intubation is a very simple procedure. ALL ambos in WA intubate, it is a LEVEL 1 skill. Ring WA ambulance and ask them.
P.A.P the job I talked about, the teenager had suffered severe tracheal trauma, intubation was his only chance. No amount of suction would help this poor child.
P.A.P the same goes for magill forceps, how many people have died because ambos haven’t been able to clear an obstructed airway. I expect P.A.P you might think that trying to clear an obstruction with a pair of magill forceps might make things worse? Oh dear!
You are typical of Malone and McCarthy and his band of bumbling nitwits, you don’t see what happens on the road or don’t understand it, you and your kind have destroyed our once proud culture. P.A.P please tell me you have read our last three appalling Corporate Culture surveys. Or maybe you just walk around with your head up your bottom and think things are OK.
Poor old P.A.P your blogs show that you are an elitist who suffers from delusions of grandeur. Your long winded excuses and waffle about access to skills in the bush just show deep down you would prefer to see a patient die than to share your precious level 5 skills……….Shame on you!
Shame
SPIDER
dear spider the hard working bush ambo:
Before you pick on people like PAP you should know who he is and what he has done.
You reckon paramedic skills are easy, well get off your useless arse and move to sydney, do the course, everyone passes nowadays so even you should have no trouble.
As for intubation, most operating theatre deaths are caused by a malpositioned tube and they are put in by anaesthatists.
it is not a simple procedure for the simple reason if you get it wrong the patient dies, full stop
a blood soaked airway is particularly difficult.
we have all had patients die on us, someone cold hearted would probably say that the kid died because you didnt bother to get level 5 skills
country ambos put up with a lot, i moved to sydney in 1998 so i could be a frog, with the wife and kids, whats stopping you????
please reply when you know what you are talking about, get off malone and mccarthys case and blame a useless health system
get a life
Anonymous,
Re: Country ambos put up with a lot, I moved to Sydney in 1998 so I could be a frog, with the wife and kids, what’s stopping you????
Gee wiz anonymouse, I have children, I care about them, I care about the continuity of their education. Where your kids happy to move to Sydney away from their friends and teachers……….or don’t you care? I shouldn’t have to move my family to Sydney for a Level 5 course.
Re: As for intubation, most operating theatre deaths are caused by a malpositioned tube and they are put in by anaesthatists.
What’s your point? My patient died because he wasn’t given the chance of intubation.
Re: we have all had patients die on us, someone cold hearted would probably say that the kid died because you didnt bother to get level 5 skills.
mmmmm. Closet level 5 back (if available) is 30 minutes away. Is this your recommendation for a completely obstructed airway due to a foreign body as well. Call for backup? Thanks for that, I never would have thought of it.
Before you start lecturing me, think about what you write, maybe get yours kids to proof read it for you, make a contribution……not silly stuff.
SPIDER
P.A.P you are all over the place.
One miute you are putting yourself on a pedestool, spruking on how you single handedly change the face of the service, saying people with less skills should be working as P.T.O's, then you say its all about the patient and we are all a team.
We will never be a team when people like you walk around big noting themselves.
Other Officers resent it.
Not because they are yet to reached the clinical pinnacle the service offers but because of your elitist attitude.
Why not tell a parent that outcomes may have been diferent if a higher skilled clinician was there? How do you think community groups put pressure on governments to improve infrastructure.
e.g St.Ives in Sydney. The local member got alot of complaints from the community to make sure that there was Paramedics working from that station. The government had to act to avoid the backlash.
Thats why we need to strike (which we can) to piss the community off that much that the government has to give in.
Thats why you will never see your pay rise.
Poor lost souls,
Spider,
You are an incompetent idiot.
I can't believe that you would have actually told a family what you recon you did.
My how would Olive Oil and her band of matriarchs love to hear that one at the PSU? Why don’t you ring them up and tell them?
You would be suspended forth with.
Then Rochford, remember your writings saying: “He's an intelligent guy" would do the only correct thing in his tenure, sack your sorry arse!
Come down to Sydney if you can hack it, brother.
I'd love to see a couple of smart arsed 25 year old paramedics from HQ really make you jump through the clinical hoops.
C.lees...
If you look through my list of bloggs, you will see that I have provided opinions on a wide range of issues.
Read them, brother and then you could possibly pass some sort of credible comment.
P.A.P.
P.A.P,
P.A.P
Re: You are an incompetent idiot.
If you say so.
Re: I'd love to see a couple of smart arsed 25 year old paramedics from HQ really make you jump through the clinical hoops.
This type of elitist comment is exactly what I have been talking about. The type of thing that hurts the culture of our wonderful service. The type of comment fostered by Malone and McCarthy and his bumbling band of nitwits. You have shown your true colors P.A.P.
Re: I can't believe that you would have actually told a family what you recon you did.
I told them the only chance their child had was to be intubated and that I didn’t have those skills. And that’s all I said. The truth, you still seem to have a problem with the truth…..how sad.
Well, what an interesting exercise this has been. There is no doubt you’re an elitist Level 5 suffering from delusions of grandeur. The sort of person State Superintendent Steve Winfield identified as damaging to a positive service culture.
P.A.P The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority.
SPIDER
Poor lost souls,
Spider,
All you have to do is get your hairy butt down to Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong or any of the myriad of other provincial stations and just do the course.
Temporary swapping of rural stations with another ambo has worked for many. Consider discussing that option with your family and bosses.
It’s really all that hard, you know.
Have you called Louise Ashel-Ford at the PSCU and told her what you allegedly said to the grieving family as yet?
If you have nothing to worry about, and what you said was indeed ethical...Then you are sweet.
I'd like to read about your sincere act of professionalism and kindness towards this family in Sirens, Response or The Australian Journal of Health Services Management as the “pragmatic and sensitive way” to address such post ttraumatic issues.
You could also, perhaps, be one of their peer reviewers and be and provide expert advice on such matters.
Your type of ethics [normative, look it up in a dictionary] could be the new standard of caring for bereaved families.
Please consider applying for a position as Peer Support Officer -you are perfect material.
As for Steve Whinfield - a close and personal friend with whom I still keep in contact with.
He is a nice man who really meant well -but he was out of his depth with us. Rochford got rid of him too.
He ran a very small amb service in England about the size of Gosford.
The ASNSW cost him dearly with a second lost marriage and almost his health.
Like me, he was trained to the NSW paramedic standards.
Why don't you have a go?
What other non sensical or self defeating crutch will you come up with now?
You can do the didactic segments through the paramedic course at Charles Sturt University.
This may give you a slight edge when your kids leave home and you are then able to apply for full training.
As for being put through the hoops by a couple of young paramedics...I really enjoy their sense of enthusiasm and banter.
I look forward to seeing you on the road one day proudly wearing the Intensive Care Paramedic insignia and your own Badge of Honour.
As for being an elitist. That's a matter of perception.
Every day during my course, good people were failed. It was the most stressful part of my career.
When I finally passed it was a great achievement. Nothing was given to any of us...We had to work and study bloody hard every single night just to get through.
What's wrong with being proud of what you accomplish in life?
P.A.P.
P.A.P.
I'm very impressed that you are still friends with Steve Whinfield. I used to go out with Gary Twin's ex girlfrind. Impressed?
My father always said that it is impossible to have a constructive debate with a fool. We could continue with this banter forever. Me talking about Malone, McCarthy and his band of nitwits (maybe your one). You replying with what you perceive to be clever and intelligent.
Go now and print out a copy of our last three corporate culture surveys and read what it says. If you can’t understand it ask someone who can, I would also be happy to answer any questions you may have. The surveys are in a very simple format.
For 23 years years I have watched people die, I have completed the pre-hosp degree, but like most who have in the bush we have not been given the chance to use these skills or a chance to progress.
Level 5 skills in the bush should be an OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATION and not be based on what level an officer is able to reach in his or her career. Surely P.A.P you can understand that.
Just remember P.A.P numerous people in NSW have died or are going to die, for this reason alone, and because of elitists like you.
SPIDER
P.S. “Operational consideration” and not based on what level an officer can reach in his or her career. I think I made that simple enough.
Spider:
Get off the merry-go-round pal.
All we hear from you is:
How terrible the woes of the country ambo are, at least those who WON'T move to get ahead clinically like so many, many others have done over the years
How wonderful your pal Rochford is
How dreadful the brothers were
How bad Malone and McCarthy are
How the corporate culture surveys are so derogatory
How supers in our union are so BAAAAADDDD
How people in the bush are dying in droves (as they always have because the pollies don't give a fuck)
How you do single responses (you probably voted against striking for 2 to a car like so many country delegates over the years because you "live in the town"
Look mate, we have heard all this shit from you for months now.
It is getting REAL stale.
IF you have something constructive to say, then do so.
but PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE get off this stuck groove in the record, we are all sick of it
Signed an elitist paramedic
Poor lost souls,
Dear elitist paramedic
January 25, 2008 12:19 PM;
Many thanks for that last blogg mate.
This guy just won't listen will he?
P.A.P.
Elitist Paramedic or ?P.A.P?,
Firstly, I never said I did single officer responses. As a Level 5 officer I would have expected more attention to detail, dumb dumb. At least it seems you have been reading my blogs, it’s a pity you didn’t make a comment at the time. At least P.A.P made a contribution allbeit nonsensical.
Ok then, what would you like to talk about dumb dumb. Ethics?
SPIDER
P.S. are you shaving yet
Dear Spider:
Yes
signed Elitist Paramedic
Elitist Paramedic,
Good, most of the new frogs I have seen aren't.
SPIDER
Elitist Paramedic,
Well, not their faces anyway.
SPIDER
I don"t know why I bother using my web allowance on reading these blogs as it has denegrated to just being purile.. However the earlier post by the anatomist was strange but somewhat edifying from a anatomical smippet of which I was unaware.
dear spider:
the "yes" was for ethics as a topic, not if i shave or not
Elitist Paramedic
Elitist Paramedic,
My apologies. Silly me. What’s say I list 2 topics for you to have a go at.
1. What do you think about HSU not lobbying (until now) for rosters where officers are not forced to work alone. This is so certain union members can get a call-out allowance. Obviously at the expense of officer safety and patient outcomes.
2. What do you think of P.A.P’s idea that level 5 skill coverage in the bush is the responsibility of individual ambulance officers and their ability to get a level 5 course. P.A.P suggested I should uproot my family, move them to Sydney, do a level 5 course, then reapply for my current position, uproot my family once again, so my town can have level 5 skill coverage. Yes what a good idea. Yes P.A.P is a dick.
That’s two for a start, go for it.
SPIDER
Spider:
Well, let's see:
1. CDA got 2 to a car in 1979. Rural areas were invited to take action as well but declined to do so. they declined again in 80, 82, 84, 86, 89, 92, that i am aware of. So why the rush now one would ask, it will come to nothing anyway because you and your mob wont strike, even though in the long run you would save far more lives.
2. The budget, controlled by your mate Mr Rochford etal determines if "your" town gets L5 or not, which has been the case for decades. Once frogs couldn't move to the bush and keep their skills, then they could, but the divisional supers would only take probies cause they were cheaper (NOT the brothers from CDA, note well, they took all the frogs they could get, including country trainees like me).
then Storer put in his customised, cheap rural paramedic trial and only ambos who lived in the towns specified could apply.
the local unions could have complained, but alas the local executives got a free trip to L5, so they didnt.
Your problem sport is "your" town. you must think you are an indespensible god figure who has to remain to save the day, thus denying himself the "chance" to do L5.
I wish you yokels....I was once one and thought the same... would realise that to get ahead, either financially, clinically or administratively YOU have to move to where the jobs/promotions/training opportunities are. You will never see a prime minister still living and working in yeoval now would you?
the town where i was born and raised and worked as an ambo and SO didnt even recognise me 4 years after i left.
Unjust you say? of course it fucking is the country has always sucked hind tit.
I recall you complaining that you couldnt do a "simple" intubation to save a kid, but face it, the poor child would have been killed by the local hospital anyway, or on an urgent transfer by road with a nurse escort, or at the base hospital or on RFDS enroute to Sydney. he would probably even have died in Sydney, trauma medicine being what it is in this country.
You should know that the chances of surviving major trauma in a rural area are less than zero, alwyas have been, always will be because the fucking governments are too busy wasting money on fireworks and tunnels to even think of the bush.
Now ethically, you face a dilemma. You can wait till hell freezes over to get a chance to do L5 by correspondence so you don't have to leave your precious town unattended............or you can do what i did and fucking move.
I have saved far more lives in the city than i ever could do in the bush and that my friend is why i joined this cowby outfit
signed Elitist Paramedic
PAP,
just reading the bloggs, been on leave.
Re your comments about SCAT, the original proposal was made by Rick Sheppard in 1978 and included parachuting into remote areas if needed as choppers would be too slow if the job was way out west
hope this helps
Elitist Paramedic,
Re: Rural areas were invited to take action as well but declined to do so. So why the rush now one would ask,
You just don’t comprehend well elitist paramedic. I explained why in one of my previous blogs.
Re: Your problem sport is "your" town. you must think you are an indespensible god figure who has to remain to save the day, thus denying himself the "chance" to do L5.
Oh yes, I am god, with little angels handing me cannulas and trauma dressings as I flutter around the countryside saving lives. I think you took way too much acid in the 60’s elitist paramedic.
Re: Unjust you say? of course it fucking is the country has always sucked hind tit.
You need help elitist paramedic. Call an ambulance there is help out there for you.
Re: I recall you complaining that you couldn’t do a "simple" intubation to save a kid, but face it, the poor child would have been killed by the local hospital anyway, or on an urgent transfer by road with a nurse escort, or at the base hospital or on RFDS enroute to Sydney.
That’s a big call elitist paramedic. With that sort of insight I would suggest it’s you, that thinks he is god.
Re: You should know that the chances of surviving major trauma in a rural area are less than zero.
Good to see you have faith in our skills. Yep! only people in the cities survive major trauma. There’s that acid problem again.
Re: You can wait till hell freezes over to get a chance to do L5 by correspondence so you don't have to leave your precious town unattended.
Let's wait and see. The majority of Level 3’s did P1 by correspondence, which included LMA’s, Fentanyl, Cannulation and one of our more serious drugs Midazolam, and some other drugs that just don’t come to mind. And guess what, no on-road training time with someone as enlightened as you.
There are a number of P1’s in the state now using Lifepak 12’s and will soon be getting Morphine. Do you use a Lifepak 12 elitist paramedic? You should also be aware that Magill Forceps with Laryngoscope is due to roll out this year sometime for ALL levels in the service.
I don’t need to move to Sydney for a Level 5 course Elitist Paramedic, your Level 5 drugs and skills will just turn up one day in the mailbag with a CD-Rom.
Elitist Paramedic you really need to keep up with current events.
SPIDER
P.S. P.A.P is still a dick
spider:
i thought i offered some constructive responses to your offered subject of ethics.
when i said the survival rate was less than zero for major trauma, you immediately took offense, i was talking about the WHOLE health system, lack of proper surgeons and anaesthetists. let alone trauma specialists.
it does not matter a fuck if you get them to hospital alive and viable if the staff are going to kill them anyway thru lack of resources, skills and funding
You are still rattling on with the same old stuff mate
I shudder when i think of under trained people running around with stuff that kills, but it makes your mate Mr Rochford look good, so i guess we had better have them then
i had expected a reasoned response from you, but you really let me down there sport
signed Elitist Paramedic
Elitist Paramedic,
Sorry I thought we were in conversation about the ASNSW.
Give me a break I’m just a shit bag Level 4 with 23 years on the job, what would I know.
Elitist Paramedic one day we might share some common ground who knows.
I am considered a dinosaur on the way out. My experience as clinician and mentor holds no real value to anyone in this service. I would be viewed by some of these young junior Level 5’s in Sydney as someone who was just not quite good enough to make it all the way. Malone and McCarthy have seen to that.
Anyway, I read an article once that suggested government agencies liked to keep staff turnover high and junior, as it saved them money in employer paid super contributions. Maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s why those two bananas brains are still there after 20 or so years of getting it wrong, and with three appalling culture surveys under their belts. Who the fuck knows. I don’t.
No doubt people like me have fallen of the production line, “has beens”. I accept that.
SPIDER
Graham McCarthy got an ASM in the Australia Day awards. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
What a joke. It was obviously not for being an ambo!!!
Poor lost souls,
Spider:
You sound like you need some motivation:
Read on brother;
Motivation has four key elements;
(1) What's in it for me?
Will gaining full paramedic status really satisfy my career clinical gaols or will it lead to unnecessary "burn out" as it has with so many good ambos.
(2) Can I accomplish what is asked of me?
Can you really handle the significant amount of pre-and on going study required to achieve the required passing grades?
Are you able to deliver advanced clinical care skills that you may only use occasionally without any on site clinical support?
How will you report your stuff ups?
(3) Is it worth the effort required to succeed?
Are there ways in which I can do the course with minimal impact on my family?
Can, and will, they support me in my efforts to satisfy this need to attain the highest clinical level in NSW?
How would I handle them saying "yes, you can go" and do the course?
Conversely, how and will I handle them saying "no" we can't help you?
Will you blame them or face the reality that it is really YOU that is the problem here?
You seem to blame everyone else for your failures in life.
Remember the child dying because you couldn't tube them or not being able to move because your kids for being in school?
You have been in the job for 23 years and your kids are still in school?
What sort of academic gene pool have you given them?
I suggest that you keep your DNA gun in your pants from now on. Some shouldn’t be allowed to breed, you are one of them.
Remember blaming the brothers for all that is wrong with your pathetic career at the moment?
(4) What form of organisational support will be given to accomplish my goal(s)?
Can my bosses give me a secondment or temporary transfer to a paramedic station to at least allow me to crew that IC car to see if this is really what I want?
Don't forget The Transferred Officers Award to ease the financial burden on your family that that transfers often incur.
Spider, these questions are ones that only you can answer with a little research should be able to answer.
You are self defeating and obviously frustrated in your job.
Do something about...!!
I am not a dick either just because I offer intelligent and workable solutions to issues that seem to bother you.
As for everyone getting the equipment and the skills your touch on. Well I shudder to think what form of treatment will be dished out to the unsuspecting public just to satisfy a few egos just like yours.
It’s no real wonder that very few will have any credibility with our own cohorts and clinical peers.
P.A.P.
How about Fire Brigage! They know how to get things done. Good on them! Solidarity and a good union!
Poor lost souls,
Anonymous: January 27, 2008 7:59 AM
Why criticise Macca for achieving his ASM?
While being far from perfect, like all of us and no doubt including you and my sparring mate, Spider.
I have always found him to be an honest man and one who has shown great kindness to many an ambo struggling with complex courses.
Like all of us, he has limitations and is the very first to readily admit to them.
Do you admit youir faults or are you "perfecta la gratitus en numero uno?"
Let's start acknowledging our achievers and not pulling them down.
P.A.P.
PAP,
What leaders? as spider said go and read our last culture survey fuckwit
dear bushman,
PAP said ACHIEVERS not leaders and I for one think he has done a pretty good job, given the cannon fodder he has been given to train, I didnt like him at first, but he really made us (those that think) work harder
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