Government demands for arbitrary performance targets are contributing to ambulance delays, paramedic exhaustion

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Sawyer, Simon. (2021). Government demands for arbitrary performance targets are contributing to ambulance delays, paramedic exhaustion The Conversation Media Group.
AuthorsSawyer, Simon
Abstract

[Extract] Ramping is a serious issue within paramedicine, and it’s entirely possible this issue contributed to the delay in responding to the Victorian woman.

However, the delay may also be symptomatic of a larger issue: ambulance services being held to ransom by arbitrary performance targets set by governments, which often bear little relevance to actual health outcomes for patients.

These productivity metrics result in an overworked and exhausted paramedic workforce, which sadly means we may see more similar deaths in future, unless something changes.

Keywordsparamedics; ambulance; ramping; hospitals; healthcare
Year2021
PublisherThe Conversation Media Group
ISSN2201-5639
Web address (URL)https://theconversation.com/government-demands-for-arbitrary-performance-targets-are-contributing-to-ambulance-delays-paramedic-exhaustion-159823
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Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online29 Apr 2021
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Deposited04 May 2022
JournalThe Conversation
Open accessOpen access
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