The St John Ambulance service is doing everything it can to help paramedics deal with job-related stress in the wake of two suicides, chief executive Tony Ahern says.
A male paramedic with a young family and a 22-year-old woman, have committed suicide in the past week.
The ABC has been told many paramedics are suffering severe depression but are reluctant to seek support for fear of losing their jobs.
Mr Ahern told 720 ABC Perth his organisation had set up wellbeing teams to help deal with the issue.
“Clearly the whole organisation is shocked by it. The issue is incredibly complex … what a lot of people would like is they would like a simple solution to it and I understand that. I would like that as well. The problem is it just doesn’t exist,” he said.
“Every ambulance service is putting in programs and approaches to this, which is consistent with what we are doing.”
Several current and former paramedics, who asked not to be named, contacted the ABC.
One of them wrote:
“When a paramedic leaves their employment, they are effectively left in the wilderness. Both my husband and I were paramedic, and after we left the organisation in very distressing circumstances we tried to move on with our lives. My husband has PTSD and he sat at his desk in our office for six months with a noose in front of him willing himself not to use it. Everyday was a struggle. We are luckily through the worst of it (I hope) but it will be a lifelong process of therapy and medication.”
Another paramedic of 16 years emailed the ABC, saying:
“I have watched them [St John Ambulance] bully and lie, and I have been receiving numerous messages telling me horror stories of sloppy ego driven management.
Yet another stated:
“There is little or no personal contact made to crews who have attended particularly difficult jobs by anyone from the well being and support department. St John is a $200m-plus company and its about time they committed some serious money to the support of their staff … I’m afraid that this latest suicide will not the be the last before the magnitude of this problem is acknowledged by St Johns and thoroughly genuine attempts are made to address it.”
Mr Ahern said he he was not able to comment on the recent suicide cases, but added: “They are not simply about this person was exposed to this type of call and, as a result, this was the outcome”.
“I am absolutely confident that everything is being done that is possible,” he said.
“Are we able to be aware of all the things going on in the lives of all our employees, absolutely not.
“What I have to do in my role, and other management, is we have to say are we doing everything … to minimise the impact of the people doing the difficult job that is there.
“Our system is not perfect; its miles better than it was a few years ago … but there is no magic wand that we can wave and it will go away.”
WorkSafe issues St John with improvement notice
Occupational health and safety watchdog WorkSafe has issued St John with an improvement notice in regard to processes used to deal with behavioural issues in the workplace.
Mr Ahern said St John initiated contact with the watchdog.
“Clearly, there was a death in the workplace the other day, and part of the process is to report that to WorkSafe,” he said.
“But people are jumping to conclusions that aren’t there.”
The WA Premier Colin Barnett said he did not believe the ambulance service should be moved under the control of the State Government.
“I find them professional. They have had some issues. I know many of the workers in St John of God have wanted the government to take it over. We don’t agree with that.”