LONDON is trying to poach Victorian paramedics to fill their skills shortage, prompting fears the two-year-old industrial relations dispute may drive skilled workers overseas.
An aggressive recruitment campaign is trying to lure up to 250 Australian paramedics with the promise of working for the busiest ambulance service in one of the world’s most famous cities.
http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/pdf.aspx?page=8849
London Ambulance Service boasts that last month alone it treated tens of thousands of patients, including those at music concerts in Hyde Park and at Tour de France.
Victorian secretary of the Ambulance Employees Australia Steve McGhie said the state could not afford to lose experienced paramedics, which could occur, given the current stalemate over the new EBA.
“With the lack of recognition and poor pay rates and the protracted industrial dispute with the State Government, I am sure there will be many Victorian paramedics prepared to go and work in London,” Mr McGhie said.
He said the challenge and promise of working in a vibrant and diverse city like London would be exciting to some paramedics.
“If our long-running pay dispute had have been resolved, I wouldn’t be concerned … but I am extremely worried due to the current stalemate.”
The service is offering paramedics assistance with their visa, relocation costs, registration fees and offers wages of $54,000-$70,000 a year.
Mr McGhie said the most common level for a paramedic in Victoria, an Advanced Life Support (ALS) 6, earned about $71,000.
The London Ambulance Service director of operations Jason Killens said the campaign was to address a shortage of paramedics in the UK, due to increased demand.
“We are looking to recruit paramedics from Melbourne as their skills and training closely match those in the UK,” he said.
But Ashley Gardiner, a spokesman for Health Minister David Davis accused the union of peddling the myth that paramedics were leaving in droves.
He said there was currently a generous remuneration offer on the table.
Ambulance Victoria General Manager Regional Services Tony Walker said it was not surprising that overseas ambulance services were seeking out their skilled staff, but based on previous campaigns he expected the numbers recruited to be low.
Conversely, he said that each year they receive many interstate and overseas applications.
“Our attrition rates remain stable and in-fact have dropped to 3.6 per cent over the past 12 months.”
The applicants will be interviewed in September in Melbourne.
Before treating UK patients they will need to take a short conversion course.
Source: News.com.au