Archive for the 'Ambulance' Category

The Brisbane Courier Mail reports that a woman is suing the St John Ambulance following her treatment at a surf carnival. The report says that she is alleging both negligence and that the treatment represented an assault, suggesting that she claims there was no effective consent. The case is in its early days and may of course settle out of court, but it will be interesting to see what the allegations are, and what the outcome is, should the matter proceed to a hearing.

Michael Eburn
22 February 2009

In Ambulance Service of NSW v Worley; further legal lessons for the emergency services’ (2007) 5 e Journal of Emergency Primary Health Care Article number 990235 I wrote an article about a case involving the Ambulance Service of NSW.

At the time I was invited to give a seminar on legal issues affecting ambulance services and I now attach a copy of that paper. The paper deals with a number of issues and cases including a prosecution of the NSW Fire Brigades by the WorkCover Authority for breaching NSW Occupational and Health and Safety Laws, and two cases involving ambulance services, one against the Metropolitan Ambulance Service in Victoria and the other against the Ambulance Service of NSW.

There has been an appeal to the Court of Appeal in the NSW case and I also attach a paper that is a discussion on that decision.

Legal Issues for Ambulance Services;

Neal v Ambulance Service of NSW

I trust both these are of interest.

Michael Eburn
29 January 2009.