Proposed new legislation allowing paramedics to apprehend mental health patients against their will would need to tread the fine line between providing ambulance officers with appropriate powers, and potentially putting them in harm’s way, the Canberra Liberals say.
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Opposition Leader and health spokesman Jeremy Hanson said he hadn’t been consulted on proposed changes to mental health laws, which include giving paramedics the power of arrest in emergency situations.
He said it was still unclear what role ambulance officers would be expected to fill under the new laws, and how new powers would be applied.
“It’s a fine line between when it becomes a threat to paramedics and when it becomes a threat to other people involved in the situation, and that’s a pretty difficult thing to assess,” he told ABC radio on Friday.
“It’s good to make sure the first-responders on the scene can actually act, and have powers to do that, but we don’t want a situation where our paramedics are put in harm’s way and are potentially doing what police are trained and equipped to do and doing what paramedics aren’t trained and equipped to do.”
Chief Minister and Health Minister Katy Gallagher said the changes to the legislation would be subject to further consultation, but said in some cases the new laws would be reflective of work already performed by paramedics, rather than creating new roles for them.
“I’m not sure it’s a whole new ball game for the reality of a paramedic’s working day, but it is new in the sense that these powers are being provided through legislation,” she said.
“This is probably the most consulted-on piece of legislation that I’ve ever been involved with, but it’s got a journey to go yet.”
