EXPANDED paramedic roles are being utilised to combat doctor shortages in regional Victoria.
Manangatang and Robinvale are among those communities in the northern Mallee to benefit from dedicated paramedic support in a Victorian first, which has seen the role of paramedics working in rural communities evolve beyond the traditional parameters.
Last month, Minister for Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy unveiled the advanced paramedic roles implementation pilot, trialing new roles for paramedics in rural communities.
The advanced paramedic roles will be trialed in new settings such as urgent care and primary care, complementing the work of general practitioners, nurse practitioners and other health workers.
Mobile intensive care ambulance (MICA) paramedic Mark Burns has stepped up as one of six new paramedic community support co-ordinators, seeking to deliver better emergency care in regional areas.
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