Thursday, 25th February 2010 - 08:01CET

Paramedics complain of lack of consultation on healthcare reform

The Association for Paramedics and Health Professionals (APHP) has complained of a lack of consultation with various associations within the health sector for the primary healthcare reform.

"Whilst we are in favour of a Primary Health reform we fail to understand how the paramedical sector has not even been mentioned in the consultation document. It seems that the government's main concerns are only doctors and nurses," the association said.

There are 700 paramedical workers in 20 different professions within the public health sector including environmental health officers, medical lab scientists, radiographers, physiotherapists, podiatrists, dental hygienists, dental technologists, radiation therapists, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, ECH technicians, pharmacy technicians, speech language pathologists, dieticians, nutritionists, acupuncturists, scientific officers, optometrists and orthoptists.

Although some of these professionals were small in number, others constituted a major link within the health sector, the association said.

It added that it was unclear if private doctors would be able to refer patients directly to these workers and if professionals like speech language pathologists, podiatrists and others could continue to work without referral from a doctor.

"What is the patient to do when the first person to be seen is his Private Doctor? Pay his GP for a referral ticket to the government paramedic of his choice?

The association also complained of outdated dental equipment in some health centres.

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Comments

Ray Buhagiar(on 25/2/10)

All Paramedics, like the nurses, are employed by the Health Department. Some work at Mater Dei in Labs, Physio Dept, Wards and others work in health centres. When a patient is referred by a GP for an X-ray, Blood investigations etc the agreement is between the GP and the Health Department on behalf of a patient. In this contract the Health Department is agreeing to accept patients referred by a GP to provide them with specific services. If I am not mistaken, for the last twenty years, there has been an agreement that GPs can send patients for an xray of the lungs. No one ever complained. This is a fantastic Health Reform and I don't see why Paramedics and Nurses as employees of the Health Department should be consulted unless their job description is going to change. Next it's the ambulance drivers that will object as they should have been consulted in those cases where a patient requires transport from his GP to Mater Dei.

Jeremy Lanfranco (President APHP)(on 25/2/10)

@ J Debono The patient/doctor relationship forms part of the Primary Health Reform (PHR). But when a doctor refers patients for blood investigations, it is the Medical Lab Scientists and Scientific Officers who work out the investigations. If you are referred to a physio/occupational therapist, these workers do work at the Primary Health Care Health Centres. Podiatrists and other professionals also work at Health Centres just like nurses who were catered for in the PHR. If a PHR is brought up, our association also has its questions and suggestions on how we are to integrate within this PHR. Remember the PHR depends on a whole chain of workers which are directly or indirectly affected by Doctor/Patient reform as you correctly call it. So why have Paramedics and other allied health professionals not been mentioned in the PHR. We admit that the logistics of dialogue could be challenging, so the least our association could do is submit these queries and suggestions directly in writing to the authorities. At the present consultative stage, I'm sure that there are presently more questions than answers but hopefully these will be ironed out when things become clearer.

J. Debono(on 25/2/10)

@ J.Borg

I know what primary health care is, and I also read the reform document.

The reform document is all about strengthening the GP-patient relationship, so why should paramedics be consulted.

We are not talking about primary Health Care but THE reform of primary health care as presented by this government.

J. borg(on 25/2/10)

J. Debono do you know what primary health is? before sending a comment!! So many have no idea what the above mentioned professionals role is .... and so many misconceptions!!!

R Grima(on 25/2/10)

@John Schembri Ghandek ragun biex tbiegh! Proper consultation was what Alfred Sant conducted to bastardize VAT into a more complex, more taxing CET!! That's ma boy!

john schembri(on 25/2/10)

Haven't we realised by now? This is a government which doesn't believe in dialogue, despite paying lip service to it. This government engages in dialogue only when all other parties agree with it. L'etat c'est moi.

J Busuttil(on 25/2/10)

On it's part UHM have a commitee which will be submitting it's peoposals on health reform. It has also meet Minister of Health Joe Cassar on this subject.

J. Debono(on 25/2/10)

If I am not mistaken, the primary health care reform, is centered on the GP-patient relationship.

What do paramedics have to do with it, and why should they be consulted?

Mike Farrugia(on 25/2/10)

I like the last sentence about the dental services! Do the health authorities know that it takes a patient 4 visits to have an X-ray taken?
Visit 1 you are referred to Mater Dei for an X-ray.
Visit 2 , take X-Ray at Mater Dei.
Visit 3, you are told that the health centres do not have the software to see the X-ray and it has to be sent by e-mail. (Apparently emails do not arrive within a week.)
Visit 4, the emails finally arrives and the result given.
4 visits mean 4 days of vacation leave and 4 school days for my daughter.
It would have been cheaper if I went privately. And by the way. mine was not a one off mishap. The dentist told me that they have been having this problem with most patients for the past 2 years!

P Brincat(on 25/2/10)

How petty....""What is the patient to do when the first person to be seen is his Private Doctor? Pay his GP for a referral ticket to the government paramedic of his choice?". The Govt has produced a consultation paper not a procedure manual!

J Farrugia(on 25/2/10)

Laurence as you say the whole health reform is in a mess. Do you have any solutions ? If yes just send them to those who are willing to learn something from you. At least there is someone in authority who is trying his best to give the people of Malta something to be proud of. Everyone agrees that a true reform is needed in the medical and health sector. Someone is trying to do something. Where's the opposition? Except for the Hon. Prof. Anthony Zammit, not one MD from the opposition benches is giving any feedback. If you have anything to give for a better service in the M&H sector, please give it to those who can change the system instead of wasting your time lamenting. We have so many people lamenting about these services that adding one more voice will solve nothing. Try being positive for a change.

laurence schembri(on 25/2/10)

So far the situation on Health Reform find itself in one big mess, it is a situation where the left hand has no idea where to put ones right. You`ll never know, maybe sooner or later some one or somebody will wake from this misguided slumber.

J Oatmon(on 25/2/10)

"The Association for Paramedics and Health Professionals (APHP) has complained of a lack of consultation with various associations within the health sector for the primary health-care reform" - the above statement, is extraordinary, it shows a complete lack of professionalism by the authorities in bringing all the stakeholders into the equation to develop a good workable plan.
What were they thinking - more of the "we are the experts and we know what to do, and we don't need your comments, thanks!"

Paramedics complain of lack of consultation on healthcare reform

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