> If a paramedic wants to be a nurse or a doctor then why not simply go and
> do the appropriate training?
> You seem to want paramedics to be all things to all people all of the time.
I think you are missing the point here, Robin.
-doctors cost more to train and maintain than paramedics (even with a North
American training)
-doctors don't want to do pre-hospital work. Paramedics came into being
because a lot of doctors (or their insurance companies!) refused to take the
risks of driving around at high speed in ambulances.
-you can't get doctors to work in remote areas (eg: crisis in general
practice in the Highlands)
-GPs are increasingly unwilling to do home visits or emergency work
There is an argument that paramedics should be extended-trained A+E nurses
(as they are in Holland), but the shortage of nurses and the increased costs
makes this unlikely in the UK.
Paramedics are an extension of a physician (usually the medical director of
the ambulance service) - they are trained to assess and treat specific
conditions under medical control (either by radio or via protocols). As
such they are far cheaper than doctors or nurses to train and deploy.
So 'treat and release' schemes, particularly with better online medical
control, is something that would be very useful in many situations.
Robbie Coull
email: [log in to unmask] website: http://www.coull.net
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