Community paramedics coming to Wangaratta

HMS Community Paramedic Services in partnership with the local community sector will soon be operating a community paramedic service in Wangaratta. HMS Community co–founder and Beechworth local Annie Wilkinson said the service provides in home medical care to those who need it, including preventative health care on a long–term basis, and services ranging from showering to palliative care. Ms Wilkinson said the service is particularly concerned with caring for carers to keep them safe and healthy, and enabling them to reconnect with their GPs and community supports. She says the community paramedic is not an ambulance service and does not provide emergency medicine, instead the service hopes to reduce the number of ambulance call outs and hospital admissions. "By providing more preventative health care in the community, HMS Community hopes to alleviate the current pressures on North East Health Wangaratta as well as the local ambulance service," Ms Wilkinson said. Paramedic Andrew McDonell, co–founder of HMS Community Paramedics, is also concerned with the unnecessary number of patients taken to hospital in an ambulance. "During my 32 years at Ambulance Victoria, I responded to emergency calls that could have easily been treated in their homes, but due to the system in place we had no option but to transfer patients by ambulance to busy hospital emergency departments," Mr McDonell said. "Things like mild chest infections, minor wounds or blocked catheters don't have to be treated in an emergency department. "Our service frees up ambulances, frees up hospital beds for people who really need them. "Our services work long–term with many patients and prevent chronic relapses and future ambulance callouts and hospitalisations. "HMS Community Paramedics keep people in their home and engaged with their local GP." Ms Wilkinson said HMS Community Paramedics are fully qualified through university and have completed additional education in community health, disability, age care, mental health, and counselling. She said it is not a free service as a visit from a community paramedic costs $87, and that fee is not claimable on Medicare, but it is accessible through the NDIS and aged care packages. HMS Community is the not for profit leg of Health and Medical Services Pty Ltd. The service is expected to start in Wangaratta within the next month once the community paramedics have been recruited. To find out more about the service or becoming a community paramedic call1300 549 249, email info@HMScollective.com.au or visit www.hmscollective.com.au.

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