The ACT Ambulance Service has won a top health award for a project which has led to fewer patients being transported to emergency departments and saw nearly three in four able to be treated safely at home.
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The service was this week named the overall winner at this year's Quality in Healthcare Awards for its extended care paramedic project, which also wonan innovation award.
"The trial focuses on providing intensive care paramedics with additional skill sets in patient diagnostics, patient referral and patient assessment," ACT Ambulance Service Chief Officer David Foot said.
"What that allows us to do is to treat patients in the comfort and dignity of their own home and avoid unnecessary transfers to the emergency centres of the two hospitals in the ACT.
"Essentially the extended care paramedic program complements primary healthcare strategies in the community linking with general practitioners, services provided through ACT Health as a key stakeholder in the program so aged care, geriatric services and other primary healthcare strategies."
About 1200 patients have been treated during the extended care paramedic project trial and of those about 73 per cent were safely treated at home and then referred to other primary healthcare providers such as GPs.
Most patients were seen for conditions like acute back pain, gastrointestinal issues and dehydration as well as wounds.
"If we can provide appropriate care for the patient in the comfort of their own home, then on-refer that patient to their GP networks, they're receiving the appropriate care and follow-up they require, that's better for the patient," Mr Foot said.
Four ACTAS Intensive Care Paramedics completed extra training to prepare them to work in the ECP role.
ACT Ambulance Service operations general manager Matthew Smith said winning the award was an honour.
"It's very satisfying for all membersinvolved. The main thing by way of satisfaction is the fact that we were able to provide a service that better met the needs of the patient," he said.
"The most tangible benefits of this sort of program are that we're able to divert patients from the acute hospital setting to the primary health care setting."
In 2012, ACTAS was given funding from the Health Workforce Australia to participate in the national trial of the ECP program which started the following year and the ACT government provided additional funding in this year's budget to allow the trial to continue for another year.
An ACT Emergency Services Agency spokeswoman said funding for the program in future years would need to be considered "against other ACT government priorities".
