Annual Report - Ambulance Service of NSW

Corporate GovernanceAmbulance has a commitment to provide ethical practices for the community.The Code of Conduct describes the values and ethical framework that guides theorganisation in the action, directions and behaviours, which underpin provision ofthose services. In accordance with the Code of Conduct, Ambulance employeesmust conduct themselves in a way that promotes public confidence and trust in theorganisation.Professional Standards and Conduct UnitThe Professional Standards and Conduct Unit (PSCU) exists tostrengthen ethical governance by promoting ethical practices,work standards and professional conduct across Ambulance.The Unit is also responsible for monitoring the complaintmanagement system to help identify opportunities to improveservice delivery and customer satisfaction. In particular, it is therole of the PSCU to:>>>>>Develop and communicate Ambulance’s corruptionresistance and ethical governance strategies.Develop, implement and maintain complaints handlingsystems including supporting, training and advising staffinvolved in complaints handling or other investigations.Manage Ambulance’s involvement in coronial inquiries.Advise Ambulance on issues pertaining to relationshipswith external agencies such as the NSW Ombudsman, theHealth Care Complaints Commission and the IndependentCommission Against Corruption.Develop guidelines, policies and procedures on the Unit’sareas of responsibility.PSCU also monitors and investigates allegations ofmisconduct, unprofessional conduct and findings against staffwith respect to criminal and traffic offences.There were 160 new matters and 94 matters finalised in2006/07 compared to 85 new matters and 67 finalised in thepreceding year (see table on page 62 for details).Code of ConductA new Code of Conduct was published in August 2006. Afurther minor amendment was made on 25 May 2007.Complaints dataA total of 567 complaints were received by Ambulance in2006/07, compared to 734 in 2005/06. This decrease mayin part be attributed to the considerable resources investedin better managing complaints in general. A breakdown ofcomplaints received during 2006/07 is shown in the tablebelow. The type of complaint resolution mechanisms utilisedremains consistent with previous years, with an explanationoverwhelmingly being the most frequent method adopted andapology the next most frequent.Complaints Data - SAC* Rating by resolution typeResolution type SAC 1 SAC 2 SAC 3 SAC 4 Blank SAC TotalNumber Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per centApology 0 0% 0 0% 28 14.3% 166 84.7% 2 1.0% 196Arbitration 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 1 100% 0 0% 1Compensation 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0Concillation 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0Explanation 0 0% 2 0.6% 52 14.6% 295 82.6% 8 2.2% 357Litigation 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0Mediated Settlement 0 0% 0 0% 2 25.0% 6 75.0% 0 0% 8Service Provided 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 11 91.7% 1 8.3% 12Unresolved 0 0% 0 0% 1 9.1% 9 81.8% 1 9.1% 11Other 0 0% 2 4.7% 9 20.9% 31 72.1% 3 3.2% 43Blank 0 0% 2 2.3% 19 22.1% 62 72.1% 3 3.2% 86567*SAC - Severity Assessment Code SAC 1 - Extreme risk SAC 2 - High risk SAC 3 -Medium risk SAC 4 - Low risk18 Annual Report 2006/07 Ambulance Service of New South Wales