Issuu

2026 CAA Awards for Excellence

Highlighting innovation in our industry

To stay up to date with information on upcoming CAA activities please visit #CAACongress #AwardsforExcellence

Let’s Celebrate The Council of Ambulance Authorities (CAA) is proud to welcome you to the 2026 Awards for Excellence, where we celebrate the outstanding achievements of this year’s entrants and finalists. These awards shine a spotlight on the innovation, dedication, and impact of projects from across the Australasian ambulance health sector. This year, we received more than 35 submissions, each reflecting the professionalism, ingenuity, and commitment of ambulance services throughout Australasia. For nearly two decades, the CAA Awards for Excellence have continued to attract a high-calibre field of entries across a broad range of categories. Submissions span key areas such as clinical practice and patient care to leadership and mental health and wellbeing, demonstrating the sector’s ongoing commitment to continuous growth and improvement. We extend our appreciation to all individuals and teams who invested time and effort in developing and submitting their initiatives. The exceptional standard of entries made the judging process both challenging and insightful for our esteemed panel. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the sponsors of the CAA Awards for Excellence, as without their support, these events would not be possible. Beyond recognising achievement, the Awards for Excellence provide a valuable platform for sharing best practice, fostering collaboration, and inspiring innovation across the sector. We look forward to celebrating these accomplishments and highlighting the remarkable work delivered by ambulance professionals throughout Australasia. Congratulations and thank you to all entrants in the 2026 CAA Awards for Excellence. Your contributions continue to elevate the standards of our sector and make a meaningful difference in the communities you serve.

Andrew Tombs Chief Executive Officer, The Council of Ambulance Authorities

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 1

Our Judges

Tony Ahern

Matthew Cannon MBE CStJ JP

Professor Belinda Flanagan PhD

Board Member, St John WA

Fellow, Australasian College of Paramedicine

Head of School, School of Paramedicine, University of Tasmania

Board member, WA Primary Health Alliance Tony joined St John Ambulance WA in 1973 as a 15-year-old cadet. In 1980 he moved from being a first aid volunteer to career ambulance officer. In 1989 he moved into accounting and computing services taking a lead role in modernising St John’s administrative and financial systems while completing his Master of Business degree in Information Systems. In 1995, Tony was appointed to the position of Finance Director on the Executive, was made Deputy Chief Executive Officer in 2000 and Chief Executive Officer in 2006. At a national level he chaired the Strategic Business Advisory Committee of the CAA for over a decade and was CAA Chairman from 2010 to 2013. Tony retired from the role of CEO at St John WA in 2018 and served on the St John WA Board from 2019 to 2023. Tony is a current Board member of the WA Primary Health Alliance.

2 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Former Chief Executive and Commissioner, the National St John Ambulance Service of PNG Matt has over two decades of experience in ambulance and emergency care across Australia and the Pacific. As Chief Executive of the National St John Ambulance Service in Papua New Guinea from 2016 to 2025, he led the country’s national emergency ambulance and aeromedical services. His experience spans frontline operations, the NSW health minister's office, system development, clinical governance, and organisational development, with a focus on strengthening ambulance systems and incorporating digital systems into ambulance practice. Matt has contributed to the Council of Ambulance Authorities for over six years, including serving as Deputy Chair. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2026 for services to ambulance care, a Fellow of the Australasian College of Paramedicine and Commander of the Order of St John in 2023.

Belinda is Dean and Head of School for the School of Paramedicine and Public Safety at the University of Tasmania. She brings close to 30 years of experience as an academic, registered paramedic, nurse, and midwife. Her work spans education and research across emergency services at a national level. Belinda supervises higher degree by research students and has authored peer-reviewed publications and delivered conference presentations internationally. As Dean and Head of School, she leads undergraduate and postgraduate programs and manages major partnerships with NSW Health, NSW Ambulance, Ambulance Tasmania, Tasmania Police, and the Australian Defence Force. She also leads the development of a National Centre for Training and Research in Emergency Response and Resilience.

Jennie Helmer

Jason Killens

Freddy Lippert MD FERC

Chief Operations Officer, BC Emergency Health Services, Canada

Chief Executive, London Ambulance Service, England

International Chief Medical Officer, Falck

Chair, Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE)

Associate Professor at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Jennie brings over 30 years of experience in emergency health services across British Columbia. She began her career in 1993 as an Advanced Care Paramedic and now serves as the Chief Operations Officer for BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), one of the largest EMS systems in North America. Jennie holds both a Master’s in Education and a Master’s in Business Administration. She is also a Board Member with the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada. Beyond her leadership and academic work, Jennie remains deeply connected to her roots, contributing to her family’s organic potato farm. She brings the same dedication, adaptability, and problem-solving mindset required in farming to her role in navigating the complex and evolving landscape of modern Emergency Health Services.

Jason is Chief Executive (CE) of the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, providing 999 and 111 services to the UK’s capital city. Previously, Jason was the CE at Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust (2018 to 2025) and CE of the South Australian Ambulance Service (2015 to 2018), prior to which he held various senior leadership roles in the London Ambulance Service, including Executive Director of Operations. From his start as an Emergency Medical Technician to three decades of service, Jason is passionate about the delivery of high-quality, safe and effective patient care in partnership with a workforce of highly skilled, engaged and healthy people.

Honorary Member of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Freddy is a founding member and current president of the European Association of Emergency Medical Services (EMS Europe) and a founding member of the Global Resuscitation Alliance (GRA). With over 25 years in emergency care, including 10 years as CEO of EMS Copenhagen, he is an experienced clinician, medical director, and researcher specialising in system design, innovation, and implementation. He has authored over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Jason is an Honorary Professor at Swansea University School of Human and Health Sciences; was awarded the King's Ambulance Service Medal (KAM) in the 2023 Birthday Honours List, and is also the Chair of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. Awards for Excellence 2026 | 3

Our Judges

Dave Robinson Executive Director Corporate, Universal College of Learning Dave held the Chief Executive role with WFA for 4.5 years, from 2021 to 2025. He has more than 20 years’ experience across the community, health and public service sectors. Before joining WFA, Dave was the CE of MASH Trust, an NGO in the health sector that provides mental health, addiction and disability support services. Before this, he was Chief Operating Officer at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and held senior management roles within the New Zealand Army and New Zealand Defence Force. Dave holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago, an MBA from Massey University and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Dave now oversees the businessenabling functions at Universal College of Learning (UCOL), including Finance, People & Culture, Digital, Facilities Management, and Corporate Assurance & Risk. UCOL is a government-funded institute of technology and polytechnic serving New Zealand’s lower North Island. 4 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Adjunct Professor Vivienne Tippett Head of School, Queensland University of Technology, Retd Adjunct Professor Vivienne Tippett has extensive experience as a researcher, author and consultant in health systems, with a special interest in emergency pre-hospital, disaster and emergency health systems. Her work has been recognised with an OAM for services to medical education (2018) and a Distinguished Service medal from Queensland Ambulance Service (2012) for services to paramedic research. Between 2013 and 2021 she was Lead Researcher for the Warnings and Communication Theme of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC which was recognised with a CRC Association national award for research innovation (2019).

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 5

2026 CAA

AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE Highlighting innovation in our industry Excellence in Technology

Excellence in Clinical Practice

Excellence in Staff Development

Entrants

Finalists

Entrants

Hato Hone St John Strengthening Community Participation in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest via GoodSAM Configuration Changes

Ambulance Victoria Advancing Defibrillation Science in the Field: The AUGMENT-VA Clinical Trial

Ambulance Victoria Graduating Certificate in Education – Recognition of Prior Learning for Ambulance Victoria Clinical Educators

Hato Hone St John Demand Resource Profile (DRP) – Operational Intelligence Tool

Queensland Ambulance Service Prehospital Quantitative EEG in Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

NSW Ambulance Med Safety Audits

Wellington Free Ambulance Enhanced Virtual Care

Queensland Ambulance Service eARF Integration Project

Hato Hone St John Police Frontline First Aid Finalists NSW Ambulance South West Sydney Resuscitation Registry Pilot

SA Ambulance Service Critical Systems, SAAS New EOC Build

St John WA Transforming SJWA Driver Training Through Legislative Reform and Evidence Based Practice

Finalists

The National St John Ambulance Service of Papua New Guinea The National Ambulance Education Centre: Building PNG's Pre-hospital Workforce

Ambulance Victoria Situational Intelligence and Geospatial Monitoring Application (SIGMA) Hato Hone St John Integrated Operations Centre – Secondary Triage Hato Hone St John Workbook Automation Project

6 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Excellence in Patient Care

Excellence in Leadership

Excellence in Mental Health and Wellbeing

Entrants

Finalists

ACT Ambulance Service ACT Ambulance Consumer Advisory Group

Ambulance Victoria Learning From Incivility: Leading Cultural Change Through Evidence-Based Insights

ACT Ambulance Service Empowering Ambulance Personnel – Menstruation Support in ACT Ambulance

Queensland Ambulance Service QAS – CHHHS Nurse Interfacility Transfer (NIFT) Co-Responder Model

St John WA PAWS: Early Intervention for Strengthening Wellbeing

Ambulance Tasmania Right Care, Right Place, Right Time: The Ambulance Tasmania In-field Referral Pathway Expansion Ambulance Victoria Palliative Care Connect Initiative

Queensland Ambulance Service QAS SOAR Initiative

Ambulance Victoria Diversion and Beyond: Unlocking the Full Potential of Interagency Emergency Care

St John WA Incident Leadership on Mass Scale for SJWA thanks to AIIMS

NSW Ambulance Complex Operations Ambulance Project

Finalists NSW Ambulance Tactical Paramedic Team Program

Queensland Ambulance Service Queensland Ambulance Service – Sepsis Virtual Assessment Tool

SA Ambulance Service Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition – New SAAS EOC

Finalists Ambulance Victoria Reducing harm from sedation administration: Using evidence to strengthen safe practices and prevent cardiac arrest

Wellington Free Ambulance Building Wairarapa Station – Creating a Government, Community and Philanthropic Partnership

NSW Ambulance Deteriorating Kids St John WA SJWA State Defibrillator Network Improves Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Patient Outcomes

Project summaries are thoughtfully prepared and submitted by the respective ambulance services.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 7

Thank you to our sponsors Principal Partners

Major Sponsor

Category Sponsors Excellence in Technology

Excellence in Clinical Practice

Excellence in Staff Development

Excellence in Patient Care

Excellence in Leadership

Excellence in Mental Health & Wellbeing

8 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Previous Star Award Winners Year

Sponsored by

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 13

Entrant

Excellence in Technology

Strengthening Community Participation in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest via GoodSAM Configuration Changes Hato Hone St John

Team: Heather Hutchinson, Bridget Dicker, A/Prof Verity Todd, Andy Swain, Sarah Maessen, Tony Smith Community first response alerting systems, including the GoodSAM application, have been associated with increased out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival (1-4). GoodSAM was introduced in Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ) in 2018, and responder numbers have continued to grow. However, by 2023, analysis of GoodSAM activity showed that engagement was not consistent across the system. Rural communities were less likely to have a responder accept an alert compared with urban areas, and response rates were also lower in areas of higher socioeconomic deprivation. In practice, this meant that the communities already facing longer response times were also less likely to benefit from community first response. In early 2024, changes were made to the GoodSAM alerting parameters to improve uptake and reduce some of these gaps. Two key adjustments were implemented. The number of responders initially alerted to a suspected cardiac arrest was increased from three to six. In addition, the alert radius for rural areas was expanded from 1 km to 5 km to better reflect travel distances and responder availability outside urban centres.

To assess the impact of these changes, we compared GoodSAM engagement in the 12 months before and after the parameter adjustments. Engagement was defined in practical terms: whether at least one responder accepted an alert for a cardiac arrest incident. Following the changes, overall GoodSAM engagement increased significantly. The proportion of cardiac arrests with at least one accepted responder alert rose from just over 40% before the change to more than 54% afterwards. After accounting for factors such as time of day, day of week, incident location, and rurality, cardiac arrests in the post-change period were almost twice as likely to have at least one responder accept an alert. The greatest gains were seen in rural areas, where responder engagement increased substantially more than in urban settings. This suggests that adjusting alert numbers and distances can make a meaningful difference in communities where responder density is lower. However, the findings also highlighted an ongoing challenge. Although engagement improved across all socioeconomic groups, the increase was larger in less deprived areas, meaning the gap between the most and least deprived communities widened. In summary, changes to GoodSAM alerting parameters were associated with a meaningful improvement in community responder engagement, particularly in rural areas. However, socioeconomic inequities remain, highlighting the need for targeted recruitment, responder support, and strategies such as equipping responders with AEDs in high-need communities.

14 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Entrant

Excellence in Technology

Demand Resource Profile (DRP) – Operational Intelligence Tool Hato Hone St John

Team: Andy Gummer, Allan Rhodes

Pre-Surge DRP Tool

Hato Hone St John (HHSJ) operates an ambulance service across the majority of Aotearoa New Zealand [DO1], responding to increasing demand pressures while maintaining safe and effective clinical service delivery. Managing operational workforce availability is a critical factor in ensuring ambulance response capability is sustained, particularly during periods where staffing shortages threaten operational performance.

The platform is built on a highly functional Excel-based system that automatically analyses roster data across multiple operational units and provides both real-time and forecast insights up to 14 days in advance. This allows operational leaders to proactively plan responses to anticipated staffing shortages before they impact service delivery.

To address this challenge, HHSJ developed the PreSurge Demand Resource Profile (DRP) tool, a dynamic operational intelligence platform designed to monitor, forecast, and manage ambulance resource pressures nationally. The tool provides real-time visibility of ambulance crew availability, identifies resourcing gaps, and categorises operational pressure using a structured escalation framework. The DRP tool includes a five-level pre-surge operational pressure level indicator, ranging from Business-as-Usual (Level 1) through to Level 5 – Risk of System Failure, enabling early identification of system pressure and the implementation of pre-defined mitigation actions. The model integrates national roster data and operational metrics to provide a clear visual representation of staffing deficits across frontline operational districts and business units that support frontline operations.

Key features of the DRP tool include: • Real-time monitoring of ambulance crewing gaps; • A standardised five-level operational pressure framework; • Forecast modelling of staffing risks – as below; • Structured escalation triggers and action cards; and • National oversight of operational workforce pressure. The system enables HHSJ to assess risks daily, determine the appropriate pre-surge level, and implement mitigation actions to maintain service delivery. By introducing a standardised national approach to workforce pressure management, the DRP tool has improved operational visibility, strengthened decisionmaking capability, and enhanced coordination between operational leadership teams. The DRP platform represents a significant advancement in operational risk management within ambulance operations. By transforming roster data into actionable intelligence, it enables earlier intervention, protects staff wellbeing, and supports safe patient care during periods of operational strain.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 15

Entrant

Excellence in Technology

Med Safety Audits NSW Ambulance

Team: Nicholas Caires, Zara Dobbs, Andrea Herring, David McLeod This is the story of how NSW Ambulance transformed medication safety from a set of disconnected audits into a living, breathing safety system, a system that tells the story of what’s happening across the state in real-time, giving frontline leaders a direct line of sight to risk, cost, use, variation, and improvement the moment they need it. Our Medication Safety Dashboard & Audit Program is more than a technology implementation. It is a patient safety innovation, shaped by the people who use it and strengthened by their feedback and stories. It takes the everyday realities of medication handling, documentation, cold chain management, and vehicle-based storage and translates them into clear, actionable insights. Within its first months, the dashboard became one of the Top 10 most-viewed dashboards across NSW Health, showing that frontline and management teams finally had a tool that was meaningful, fast, and easy to use.

Three statewide cornerstone audits underpin the system: RMAT (Restricted Medications Audit Tool) – a disciplined weekly retrospective audit that reconciles register entries against clinical records with strong patient safety implications. MMS (Medication Management & Storage) – conducted each roster cycle, providing reliable oversight of storage conditions, segregation, labelling, expiry and cold chain across both stations and vehicle fleets. Cold Chain Audit – a weekly audit to ensure compliance with vaccine storage requirements and detect early temperature deviations or equipment issues. All audit findings flow into a unified safety story: medication safety dashboards with heatmaps, drillthroughs, cost insights, hotspot maps, inventory views, incident themes, and education completion. Leaders can now see what they could never see before misuse, underuse, atypical station patterns, specific medication trends, and emerging risk signals. It works. Across eleven months, more than 9,000 RMAT audits, 1,000 MMS audits, and 200 cold chain audits were completed. Nearly 3,000 dashboard views in just 90 days demonstrate strong adoption across the organisation. This is a technology success story, but more importantly, it is a story of improved patient safety, enhanced visibility, and transformation of medication governance.

16 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Entrant

Excellence in Technology

eARF Integration Project Queensland Ambulance Service

Team: Adam Roe, Timothy Curtis

Key benefits of the eARF Integration Project include:

The electronic Ambulance Report Form (eARF) Integration Project represents a major advancement in modernising the sharing of critical prehospital patient information within Queensland’s health system. This innovative digital solution replaces traditional paperbased clinical handover reporting, enabling hospitalbased clinicians to access information recorded by QAS paramedics in real-time using a secure platform. By integrating the eARF into the Viewer application, delivered by Queensland Health, the project ensures timely and accurate pre-hospital information is readily available to Emergency Department (ED) clinicians.

• Supporting clinicians with real-time access to pre-hospital information to make informed decisions with immediate access to critical patient data;

Aligned with Queensland Health’s strategic goals and Digital Strategy, the eARF Integration Project addresses critical gaps in information sharing between the QAS and Queensland Health. It enhances the continuity of care by providing ED clinicians with seamless access to prehospital data, enabling faster, more informed clinical decision-making. This integration reduces the need for manual information retrieval, streamlines communication between QAS paramedics and ED staff, and ensures that pre-hospital and emergency care data are consolidated in a single, accessible location.

• Reducing the time required for ED clinicians to manually gather or request pre-hospital data, improving operational efficiency, and communication between QAS paramedics and ED staff; • Enhancing the continuity of care by creating a comprehensive patient care record across all stages of the care journey, from pre-hospital to in-hospital settings; and • Improving patient outcomes and experiences through faster, more efficient care delivery leads to better patient experiences and safety. Since its implementation, the project has strengthened data-driven decision-making, improved service delivery, and contributed to a more connected healthcare system. By leveraging existing digital infrastructure, such as eARF and The Viewer, the project ensures that critical prehospital information is seamlessly integrated into ED workflows, eliminating delays and enhancing patient care quality. The eARF Integration Project exemplifies the Council of Ambulance Authorities’ vision of innovation and excellence in healthcare. It demonstrates how technology can transform emergency care delivery, setting a benchmark for other jurisdictions.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 17

Entrant

Excellence in Technology

Critical Systems, SAAS New EOC Build SA Ambulance Service

Team: Grant Rieger, Kestrel Blackmore, Duncan Margetts, Roberto Funes, Mike Brady, Craig Lynch, Jerry He, Mark Lindner, Steve Jones SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) has delivered a new Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), delivered end-toend in 18 months and successfully transferred operations to the new facility in a live relocation. This submission is for the Excellence in Technology Award; it focuses on the technical aspects of the project and the SAAS Critical Systems and EOC Technicians team. Those Business-as-Usual (BAU) technical staff led the design, delivery, and commissioning of the new EOC technical systems without relying on an external systems integrator or large-scale consultancy support. The team maintained accountability for architecture, integration, testing and go-live, while working closely with specialist vendors, architects, the emergency telephony provider, and other government stakeholders. Delivery occurred alongside live emergency operations, where continuity of service was non-negotiable. Adding to the challenge, the project also included a change to a new telephony and call handling system, which required extensive configuration, system integration, and coordinated training of operational staff. The project integrated emergency call-taking, emergency and non-emergency dispatch, secondary clinical triage, retrieval coordination, operational planning and resourcing, and system-wide health coordination into a single operational capability.

18 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

The result is a step-change in capability for South Australia's (SA) emergency medical operations, improving real-time situational awareness, faster escalation, and stronger coordination during routine operations and major incidents. The project deliberately prioritised operational resilience and consistent system performance under pressure. The EOC was engineered as a mission-critical environment capable of sustained 24/7 operation during routine demand, major incidents, infrastructure failures, and prolonged demand surges. Decisions on network architecture focused on predictable failure modes, rapid recovery, and clear system state, recognising that instability or ambiguity in emergency operations directly impacts patient outcomes and staff safety. Future scalability was a core design principle. Rather than delivering a point-in-time solution, the team established a flexible, modular technology foundation capable of adapting to evolving clinical models, operational workflows, and future digital enhancements without requiring disruptive redesign or reimplementation. Despite the compressed delivery timeframe, BAU delivery model, and live service constraints, the transition to the new EOC was executed with minimal operational disruption. Careful staging, parallel running, extensive testing, and close collaboration with frontline operational users enabled a safe and controlled transition. This project demonstrates that technical excellence is not dependent on scale or external delivery models. Through strong ownership, deep domain expertise, and disciplined execution, a small BAU technical team delivered a substantial increase in capability for one of SA’s most critical public safety environments.

Finalist

Excellence in Technology

Situational Intelligence and Geospatial Monitoring Application (SIGMA) Ambulance Victoria

Team: Rachel Atkinson, Jack Stelling Situational Intelligence and Geospatial Monitoring Application (SIGMA) is an advanced business intelligence and geospatial analytics platform developed by Ambulance Victoria (AV) to transform how the organisation understands the operational environment surrounding any historical ambulance event. SIGMA was created in response to a longstanding challenge: although AV held rich operational data, it was dispersed across multiple systems, making it difficult, slow, and often inconsistent to reconstruct what the system was doing at the time of an incident. Developed collaboratively by the Analytics Development and Communications Centre teams, SIGMA provides a unified, intuitive interface that answers a fundamental question: “What was happening in the system when this case occurred?” By integrating CAD activity, Ambulance Vehicle Location (AVL), dispatcher comments, linked ePCR records and a range of enterprise data sources, SIGMA allows staff to select any case date and case number and instantly view a visually rich reconstruction of events. Interactive timelines, animated geospatial unit movements, and workload summaries help users explore statewide and localised system behaviour with unprecedented clarity.

A major innovation underpinning SIGMA is its locationbased analytical capability. Instead of relying solely on fixed geographic boundaries such as ASAs, LGAs or Regions, SIGMA enables users to define a custom radius around an incident and analyse demand, resource availability, response performance and competing operational pressures at a truly local scale. This approach reveals situational factors that would previously remain hidden, offering particular value for the review of complex, high-profile or adverse events. Across AV, the platform has rapidly become an essential tool for operational learning and organisational transparency. Teams involved in patient review, coronial review, legal processes, and clinical governance now rely on SIGMA for accurate, reproducible, and context-rich insights. By centralising previously disparate information and presenting it visually, SIGMA significantly reduces investigation time, improves consistency in case reviews, and enhances AV’s ability to identify systemic risks and opportunities for improvement. More broadly, SIGMA strengthens AV’s ability to understand how real-world demand, resource pressures, and spatial dynamics influence patient outcomes. Through better visibility of the system at the time of each event, AV can make more informed decisions, support staff with clearer contextual understanding, and drive continual improvement across operations. SIGMA represents a major advancement in the use of technology to support patient care, system performance, and organisational learning, embodying the spirit of innovation recognised by the CAA Excellence in Technology Award.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 19

Finalist

Excellence in Technology

Integrated Operations Centre – Secondary Triage Hato Hone St John

Team: Jo Gallagher, Ryan Bailey, Duncan Christie, Blair Andrews Aotearoa New Zealand continues to experience rising demand for healthcare services, mirroring trends seen across the United Kingdom and Australia. Ambulance services in these regions have observed increasing public reliance on emergency lines for primary and low-acuity healthcare needs. In response, Hato Hone St John (HHSJ) recognised the need to innovate so that people activating emergency services receive safe, timely, and clinically appropriate care. Secondary Triage has become a cornerstone of modern ambulance service delivery. HHSJ has progressively expanded its clinician-led secondary triage initiatives, guided by a Hear & Treat and See & Treat philosophy. These services work holistically to connect callers with the most suitable clinical advice or community-based care options. By doing so, they help ensure that emergency ambulances remain available for life-threatening and time-critical incidents, while also reducing unnecessary pressure on emergency departments.

As demand grew, HHSJ sought to strengthen its Secondary Triage capability by increasing the number of 111 calls receiving clinician review. A key challenge was that many incidents clinically appropriate for review were still being dispatched to road ambulances before secondary triage could occur. This limited opportunities for early clinical assessment, reduced the effectiveness of telehealth pathways, and removed a valuable layer of risk evaluation, particularly for callers facing long ambulance wait times. To address this, HHSJ developed the Clinical Support Officer Navigator portfolio (CSO-NAV), a dedicated clinical safety function positioned immediately after Primary Triage. The CSO-NAV acts as an early clinical safety net, rapidly reviewing selected low-risk ProQA determinants to determine whether each incident is safe to wait for secondary triage rather than receiving an immediate ambulance dispatch. This innovation enabled the creation of a dedicated no-dispatch NAV queue within the ProQA system, the computerised version of the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS). Incidents entering this queue are promptly assessed by the CSO-NAV, who recertifies each case as either requiring an emergency ambulance response or being suitable for Clinical Telephone Assessment (CTA). This process ensures that Secondary Triage clinicians can provide timely followup, offer tailored clinical advice, and recommend alternative care pathways when appropriate. The CSO-NAV portfolio represents a significant advancement in HHSJ’s Secondary Triage model. It has improved utilisation of telehealth services, enhanced ambulance availability, and strengthened patient safety, achieving these gains without increasing clinical risk.

20 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Finalist

Excellence in Technology

Workbook Automation Project Hato Hone St John

Team: Emma Sutherland, Andrew Graham, Samer AlKhateb, Jamie Hati, Ravi Singh The Workbook Automation Project was developed to address a growing educational bottleneck: the manual marking of high-volume ambulance education workbooks. At Hato Hone St John (HHSJ), this work had become a significant drain on skilled clinical educator capacity, consuming approximately 10,000 productive hours each year that could otherwise be directed to teaching, simulation, learner support, and frontline clinical education activity. This project introduced an AI-enabled marking solution now in active trial and early rollout, designed to safely and practically release that trapped capacity. Built with human oversight and privacy controls from the outset, the solution uses approved question banks, answer guides, and New Zealand Clinical Practice Guidelines to support standardised first-pass marking, while retaining human verification, moderation pathways, and a full audit trail.

The value proposition is substantial. In the controlled trial, average marking time reduced from 155.8 minutes to 8.5 minutes per workbook, representing an approximately 94% reduction in processing time. At current annual volumes, this equates to a potential shift from around 10,000 hours of manual human effort to approximately 283 to 340 hours of AI runtime, releasing a very significant volume of expert educator time back into higher-value work. The financial impact is equally compelling. Manual marking is estimated to consume approximately $800,000 per annum in productive workforce time. By contrast, projected AI processing costs are in the low dollars per workbook, producing a substantial return on investment and demonstrating how carefully governed AI can unlock meaningful service value in an ambulance education setting. Integrated into Microsoft 365 and MySitrep, Hato Hone St John’s award-winning custom Learner Management System, the project represents an early operational implementation and a scalable model for how AI can be introduced safely, transparently, and usefully to improve operational efficiency, educator capacity, consistency, and learner experience at the same time.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 21

22 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Controlled Drugs Management A digital solution designed speciﬁcally for Ambulance and Emergency Services to safely and eﬃciently manage Controlled Drugs

Our award winning Controlled Drugs Management Solution (CDM) is Australia’s most widely-used, purpose built controlled drugs solution for emergency services.

Supports comprehensive Governance and Regulatory compliance

Fully conﬁgurable to each Service’s unique workﬂows

Instant visibility for investigation of high-risk incidents and events

Integrates with organisational systems (like ePCR) for added eeciency

Enables data driven decision-making for Managers

Full access to organisational level CD information for audits and inspections

Comprehensive online/ooine training materials for ease of rollout and use

Customer focussed new features to enhance functionality and useability

info@healthcaresoftware.com.au

healthcaresoftware.com.au/cdm

Excellence in Clinical Practice

Recognising innovation or capability in the fields of skills mix, pharmacology, and clinical intervention as they relate to patient treatments and outcomes. When making their submission to this category, each service is encouraged to reflect on how their organisation has excelled in clinical practice with breakthrough moments that saw cutting edge techniques implemented to revolutionise the world of paramedicine.

Sponsored by

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 25

Finalist

Excellence in Clinical Practice

Advancing Defibrillation Science in the Field: The AUGMENT-VA Clinical Trial Ambulance Victoria

Team: Ziad Nehme, Emily Mahony, Emily Nehme, David Anderson, Daniel Okyere, Tegwyn McManamny, Jocasta Ball, Belinda Dalardes, Karen Smith, Peter M. Kistler, Jason Bloom, Dion Stub, Aleksandr Voskoboinik Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains one of the most time-critical emergencies in clinical practice, with survival dependent on the rapid delivery of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation and effective defibrillation. Despite major advances in resuscitation science, up to half of patients presenting with shockable rhythms fail to respond to standard defibrillation strategies. The AUGMENT-VA clinical trial represents a landmark effort to address this gap through the world’s first large-scale, paramedic-delivered, randomised evaluation of manual pressure augmentation (MPA) during defibrillation in OHCA. AUGMENT-VA was an investigator-initiated, pragmatic, cluster-randomised controlled trial conducted across 216 branches in Victoria. It evaluated whether applying firm, controlled manual pressure to defibrillation pads at the moment of shock delivery could reduce transthoracic impedance and improve defibrillation effectiveness during real-world resuscitation. While MPA has been used in elective cardioversion for atrial fibrillation, it had never been rigorously tested in life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in the prehospital environment.

26 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

The trial enrolled 560 adults with initially shockable OHCA and demonstrated that MPA produced a clear and clinically meaningful physiological effect. Transthoracic impedance was significantly reduced by 8.5 ohms in intention-to-treat analyses and by 15 ohms when the technique was applied with high protocol fidelity. Importantly, this was achieved without compromising chest compression fraction, delaying shock delivery, or increasing rescuer harm. Perceptible shocks to paramedics were rare and comparable to standard care. Although survival and neurological outcomes were similar between groups, the trial generated critical, practice-changing insights. It demonstrated that paramedics can safely modify a key biophysical determinant of defibrillation during active resuscitation, and it established a structured safety and choreography framework for hands-on defibrillation techniques. The findings will directly inform clinical governance, safety protocols, and future research directions for advanced defibrillation strategies, including impedance-guided defibrillation and targeted use in high-risk populations. AUGMENT-VA exemplifies excellence in clinical practice by translating physiological theory into frontline care, embedding research within routine clinical practice, and advancing global understanding of defibrillation science. It positions paramedics as leaders in evidence-based innovation and sets a new benchmark for how novel resuscitation interventions can be safely evaluated and operationalised in the prehospital setting.

Finalist

Excellence in Clinical Practice

Prehospital Quantitative EEG in Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Queensland Ambulance Service

Team: Dr Wayne Louden, Dr Stephen Rashford, Mark Disney, Prof Emma Bosley, A/Prof Denise Bunting, Dr Daniel Bodnar, Dr Frances Williamson, A/Prof Andrew Wong, Prof Craig Winter, Dr Judith Bellapart, Prof Vivienne Tippett Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, with the prehospital phase representing a critical window for preventing secondary brain injury. Despite this, prehospital assessment relies almost exclusively on indirect clinical markers such as the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which have limited sensitivity for identifying evolving intracranial pathology or cerebral dysfunction. This project represents the first prehospital application of quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) for patients with suspected moderate-to-severe TBI, evaluating both the feasibility of acquiring robust EEG data during emergency care and the potential clinical relevance of those data. The project implemented a portable, simplified qEEG system within a high-acuity prehospital setting, enabling real-time acquisition of neurophysiological signals during routine ambulance care and transport. A streamlined four-electrode montage was purposefully selected to align with operational constraints, clinician workload, and time-critical decision-making. Data collection occurred without delaying patient care or interfering with established clinical workflows.

The project demonstrated 100% successful EEG acquisition, with interpretable neurophysiological signals obtained in all cases. Analysis showed biologically plausible associations between qEEG metrics and established indicators of injury severity, including Marshall CT classification and Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) head injury scores. In particular, relative delta power and alpha-to-delta ratios showed statistically significant correlations with structural injury severity, suggesting that prehospital qEEG can provide objective insight into cerebral dysfunction well before hospital imaging is available. Beyond technical feasibility, this project represents a potential advancement for patient care. It establishes that meaningful brain monitoring can occur during the earliest stage of care, opening pathways for enhanced triage, early risk stratification, and care interventions. This study demonstrated the feasibility of neurophysiologic monitoring in the out-of-hospital setting. Further studies will determine the potential role of qEEG-guided clinical assessment in early brain injury care.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 27

Finalist

Excellence in Clinical Practice

Enhanced Virtual Care Wellington Free Ambulance

Team: Hannah Crombie, Dr Erica Douglass, Hazel Gray, Dr Dave O’Byrne Wellington Free Ambulance's Enhanced Virtual Care (EVC) project was developed to address sustained and projected growth in emergency road ambulance demand through expansion of the organisation's Clinical Hub capability. The primary goal was to slow the rate of road ambulance growth required to safely meet patient demand by improving triage accuracy, increasing hearand-treat rates, and more closely matching deployed resources to patient need. The project was preceded by a thorough discovery period and a two-stage business case process, including causal mapping, stakeholder engagement, literature review, and detailed scenario modelling using data-based simulation of our operations. Implementation was phased, with phase 1 going live in February 2025 and phase 2 in September 2025. New and diversified clinical roles were introduced alongside remote triage capability, a GP referral pathway, and a live data performance dashboard to support real-time monitoring and service adjustment. Outcomes for phase 1 include a 10.5% improvement in the accuracy of high-acuity case identification, and post phase 2, the Clinical Hub absorbs approximately 58% of total call demand. Hear-and-treat rates have reached 19.7% since phase 2, with further improvement anticipated as referral pathways develop.

28 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

There has been an increase in ambulance arrival within 20 minutes for high-acuity cases from 49% to 66%, and Unit Hour Utilisation [1] (UHU) averages 55% against a hypothetical modelled 66–75% without EVC under equivalent demand. Stabilised UHU means that, despite unprecedented annual growth in community demand for road ambulance services, the proportion of overall cases attended has been safely reducing since phase 1 of EVC went live. This ensures a sustainable pace for work for staff, reserves ambulance resources for high-risk cases, ensures patients receive care closer to home, and positively impacts ED throughput. The model's strength is in its clinical governance design and demand management principles, which make success less contingent on local geography or funding structure, making it highly transferable to ambulance services nationally and internationally who may be servicing wide geographical areas at near operational capacity. Notes [1] Unit Hour Utilisation: A measure of ambulance supply and demand. It is the combined time of response, treatment, transport, handover, and refurbishment divided by total shift time. It excludes time to return to the station, repositioning, breaks and administration. Utilisation above 55% is associated with poorer patient outcomes, slow or delayed response times, increased attrition, and sickness.

Smart ambulance technologies

+ Real-time virtual communication using video-conferencing + Rapid entry case notes + Integration with patient records + AI enabled Clinical Decision Support + Medical Device integration

To trial our solutions contact us at www.titanprehospital.com

Excellence in Staff Development

Recognising education improvement or innovation in the fields of: Programme design, delivery, assessment, and accreditation; professional development, skills maintenance, and practice standards, including community education; and research and/or innovation supporting evidence-based practice. When making their submission to this category, each service is challenged to explore areas where improvements have been made in staff development, and how these resonating changes have improved the evolution of paramedicine.

Sponsored by

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 31

Entrant

Excellence in Staff Development

Graduating Certificate in Education – Recognition of Prior Learning for Ambulance Victoria Clinical Educators Ambulance Victoria

Team: Peta Reilly, Jack Taylor, Nareeda Miller, Hayden Astbury Ambulance Victoria (AV), in partnership with Victoria University (VU), has developed an innovative Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathway that enables qualified paramedic Clinical Instructors (educators) to receive credit toward a Graduate Certificate in Education (GCE). This initiative formally recognises the advanced skills, knowledge and educational capability already demonstrated by AV educators and creates a clear pathway to obtain a nationally recognised postgraduate qualification. Historically, paramedic educator roles across Australia have largely relied on internally developed programs or vocational-level qualifications. While these programs have produced highly capable educators, they have not always been formally aligned with higher education standards. This project addresses that gap by mapping the AV Educator Program against the academic learning outcomes of a postgraduate education qualification. Through this process, experienced educators receive credit for two units within the GCE, recognising the depth of expertise gained through clinical practice and workplace-based educator training. The pathway represents a contemporary workforce development initiative that strengthens the credibility, consistency, and integrity of paramedic education across the organisation.

By recognising educator capability at Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Level 8, the program elevates the professional standing of paramedic educators and positions them with an education qualification above the entry to practice qualification level requirements of the learners they supervise. Importantly, the initiative was designed to be accessible, scalable and sustainable. Participation in the pathway is voluntary and self-directed, enabling educators to undertake study alongside their operational roles. The program does not require organisational funding, backfill, or changes to operational rostering, making it a costneutral initiative while delivering substantial professional development benefits for staff. The response from the workforce has been overwhelmingly positive, and early feedback indicates that the program has significantly increased staff motivation, professional pride, and engagement with ongoing learning. Beyond individual professional development, the initiative contributes to broader organisational outcomes. Educators equipped with formal education training are better positioned to provide structured feedback, support diverse learner needs, and foster psychologically safe learning environments. These improvements strengthen the quality of clinical supervision provided to paramedics in training, which ultimately supports improved clinical decision-making and patient-centred care. This project demonstrates how strategic collaboration between industry and higher education can deliver meaningful workforce development without imposing financial or operational burdens. By recognising existing expertise and providing a clear pathway to postgraduate qualifications, the initiative represents a sustainable model for strengthening educator capability across the paramedic profession.

32 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Entrant

Excellence in Staff Development

Police Frontline First Aid Hato Hone St John

Team: Laura McMenamin, Lilah Barnett, Jess Verdon, Dr Craig Ellis, Chris Harrison Following the Christchurch Mosque attacks and subsequent serious violent incidents, it has become clear that the threat landscape facing frontline responders in New Zealand is rapidly changing. New Zealand Police identified a critical gap: existing first aid training, aligned to standard workplace programmes, no longer reflected the traumatic and high-risk environments officers were attending. In July 2025, Hato Hone St John (HHSJ), New Zealand’s largest ambulance provider, was appointed as the national training provider for New Zealand Police, responsible for training more than 10,000 frontline officers. Rather than replicate a traditional first aid model, HHSJ partnered with police to co-design a bespoke Frontline First Aid (FFA) programme grounded in Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) principles and structured around the MARCH framework (Massive Haemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, Hypothermia/Head injury).

Within twelve weeks, HHSJ developed the curriculum, sourced specialised trauma equipment and trained more than forty frontline paramedics as facilitators. Officers are now trained to manage catastrophic haemorrhage, apply tourniquets and haemostatic dressings, pack wounds, apply chest seals, and deliver structured trauma care in direct and indirect threat environments. Shortly after the first month of delivery, the Bondi Junction attacks occurred in Australia. This was a stark reminder that mass casualty violence remains a present reality in our region. While the incident occurred across the Tasman, its proximity and severity reinforced a sobering truth: it is not a question of if high-threat events will occur again in New Zealand, but when. In violent incidents, Police are often the first medical responders. Ambulance personnel may stage until scenes are secured, particularly where threats remain active. During these critical early minutes, uncontrolled massive haemorrhage can cause preventable death. Officers must be able to recognise life-threatening injuries and initiate immediate trauma care before ambulance arrival. Evaluation data from the first four months shows 96% of Police officers agree the training is directly relevant to their role, with 100% rating of MARCH overview and Massive Haemorrhage sessions as “Very Well” delivered. This initiative represents a national shift from compliance-based first aid certification to operational trauma capability, ensuring those who arrive first at violent incidents are prepared to save lives by ‘closing the care gap’.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 33

Finalist

Excellence in Staff Development

South West Sydney Resuscitation Registry Pilot NSW Ambulance

Team: Dr Tom Evens, Dawn Blayney, Patrick Kirkness, Dr Kimberley Davis, Stella Sheeba, Yianni Mavroidis, Michele Jordan, Jade Marks, Jordan Rosser, David Donato The South-West Sydney Resuscitation Registry Pilot (the Pilot) was established to ensure every out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) resuscitation becomes a structured learning opportunity for clinicians, while strengthening NSW Ambulance’s organisational insight into resuscitation practice. The Pilot embedded a consistent post-event review and feedback process, so learning is captured promptly and translated into practical improvement. Prior to the Pilot, resuscitation insights were often delayed or fragmented. Registry reporting relied heavily on retrospective data entry from clinical records well after the event, and did not routinely link clinical documentation with monitor-defibrillator performance data. This limited timely rhythm recognition review, reduced visibility for sector leadership, and meant clinicians rarely received meaningful feedback from objective device-derived metrics generated during resuscitation. The Pilot implemented an end-to-end workflow that combines clinician input, case documentation, and monitor data so each resuscitation can be reviewed consistently and converted into feedback for the clinicians involved. A structured clinician survey supports post-event debrief by capturing scene context, decision points and operational constraints that may not be fully represented in standard records.

34 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

A targeted case reviewer then cross-checks the survey against clinical documentation and observes mission logs to verify timelines, rhythm interpretation, interventions and CPR quality measures. Feedback is deliberately reflective and non-punitive, recognising excellence while identifying any opportunities for improvement, and supporting professional development in a time-critical, high-pressure clinical environment. Beyond individual feedback, the Pilot was designed to identify recurring themes and address unwarranted variation in practice, including missed opportunities for timely interventions. A defined governance pathway supports escalation of cases where clinical variation may meet patient safety thresholds, ensuring timely review and appropriate follow-up through established clinical governance processes. Across the Pilot period (20 February 2025 to 15 December 2025), the Registry demonstrated feasibility within operational settings. Participation strengthened over time, and evaluation findings indicated the approach was valued for supporting reflection on decision-making, teamwork, and resuscitation quality. The Pilot also clarified the enablers required for sustainability and scale, particularly workflow integration, data linkage, and dedicated review resource capacity to maintain timely feedback and effective governance. Overall, the Pilot represents a significant advancement in how NSW Ambulance supports staff development after OHCA. By integrating clinician reflection with objective performance data and structured review, it strengthens skills maintenance in a low-frequency, high-stakes clinical area, reinforces evidence-based practice, and supports continuous improvement in resuscitation care for the community.

Finalist

Excellence in Staff Development

Transforming SJWA Driver Training Through Legislative Reform and Evidence Based Practice St John WA

Team: Naomi Powell, Alex Segler, Julie Comito, Chloe Hansen St John WA (SJWA) has developed a globally best practice, contemporary, evidence-informed Driver Training and Compliance Program for all tiers of the organisation that provides team members the highest level of training and instils safety-focused operational practices. In tandem, SJWA has also achieved the Road Traffic Code Amendment Regulation 2025 reform, which - for the first time in Australian ambulance services history - enables live practical emergency driving on Western Australia’s road network. Historically, driver education for ambulance services has relied heavily on closed-course training and theoretical instruction, leaving a dangerous gap when being inducted to real-world operational conditions, especially driving under Priority 1 (P1) lights and sirens. Following the loss of a much-loved Clinical Support Paramedic (CSP) while driving under P1 conditions in late 2023, and to achieve industry-leading safety outcomes, SJWA undertook a comprehensive investigation, complex advocacy, and consultation process to enable critical legislative reform – ensuring P1 training provisions comparable to the WA Police Force (WAPF).

The amendments provide clear protections for accredited instructors and trainees, while maintaining robust governance, risk management, and public safety oversight. As of December, SJWA team members can undertake live P1 emergency driving scenarios on real-time road network environments, while under reduced cognitive load and the professional eye of a specialist trainer. More than 540 team members have already undergone the revised program, which integrates: • Advanced hazard perception; • Dynamic risk assessment; • Fatigue management; and • Human factor education. Simulation-based learning is combined with structured, supervised on-road training to promote effective transfer of skills into operational practise. High-risk driving activities such as contraflow, breaching of intersections, traffic congestion, and navigation can be experienced on real roads prior to the team member being exposed to a live situation involving patients. Successful participants are awarded a nationally accredited and transferable certification, supporting workforce capability and professional development. SJWA’s Diver Training Framework encompasses organisation-wide operational and non-operational driving conditions, emergency and non-emergency response conditions, and role-specific training, which is inclusive of the organisation’s large volunteer network. The project represents a huge investment by SJWA in the advancement of ambulance driver education to enhance the safety, capability, and confidence of team members, while improving risk outcomes for patients, staff, and the broader community.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 35

Finalist

Excellence in Staff Development

The National Ambulance Education Centre: Building PNG's Pre-hospital Workforce

The National St John Ambulance Service of Papua New Guinea

Team: Glen Beasley, Alexander Dimain, Stevie Nion, Anthony Pryke, Vagi Ila, Charles Wakinau Papua New Guinea is one of the most challenging places in the world to deliver emergency medical care: 460,000 square kilometres of mountain, jungle, coastline, and islands, with more than 11 million people. Emergency care here depends on skilled ambulance officers, and until recently, there was no dedicated institution to train them in pre-hospital care. For years, the National St John Ambulance Service of Papua New Guinea (NStJPNG) relied on overseas volunteers and paid trainers rotating in from other countries. There was no national college, no PNG-based faculty, and no domestic capability to write and deliver DHERST and AQF-level certificate courses contextualised to PNG. This team changed that. Working from the National Ambulance Education Centre (NAEC), opened on 27 September 2024 with ExxonMobil and the PNG LNG Project as major sponsor and the Motu Koitabu Assembly, they designed, wrote, accredited, and now deliver PNG's ambulance officer certificate program. This is the core qualification every St John ambulance officer holds, and the foundation of the national ambulance workforce. Before this team's work, no such PNGwritten, PNG-delivered pathway existed.

36 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

The program is accredited in line with both Australian RTO and PNG DHERST standards, making it a qualification that is genuinely both international and national. It is delivered by PNG-based educators, with assessment spanning multiple-choice exams, clinical scenarios, oral vivas, and end-of-course and end-ofinternship examinations. Through the NAEC, NStJA doctors and clinical educators can also deliver training in aeromedical retrieval, paramedic credentialling, and specialist and critical care, extending courses to doctors, nurses, and health workers across PNG's health system. In just over two years, the program has produced the largest structured ambulance workforce training pipeline in PNG's history: • 69 ambulance officer recruits across three cohorts (2024, 2025, 2026), with a further 34 to be trained after the current cohort finishes; • 99% pass rate across all course and internship assessments; and • Graduates deployed across five provinces: NCD, Morobe, Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, and East New Britain. The team took PNG from dependence on overseas trainers to a sovereign national ambulance officer program that is PNG-designed, PNG-delivered, and scoped to Australian RTO and PNG DHERST standards. It is the foundation of the country's ambulance workforce, and a model for other low-resource services in the region.

MORE THAN UNIFORMS: PARTNERING WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES In emergency services, uniforms need to do more than simply meet standards. They need to support movement, comfort, safety and performance in fast-moving, high-pressure environments, helping frontline teams focus on the job at hand. At Workwear Group Uniforms, we believe the best uniform solutions are built through partnership. As part of the Workwear Group portfolio, our trusted heritage brands including Hard Yakka, KingGee and NNT have supported Australian workers for generations, delivering durable, purpose-built apparel designed for demanding environments. Today, we proudly partner with ambulance services across Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the ACT, providing tailored uniform solutions shaped by frontline feedback and operational experience.

From garment innovation and fit development through to evolving footwear solutions, our focus is on supporting the realities of modern emergency response, with increasing emphasis on comfort, mobility, inclusivity and all-day performance. Uniforms are more than what’s worn on shift. They are essential tools that help emergency services teams perform with confidence, supporting the brave professionals working on the front line of emergency response. We look forward to continuing the conversation with emergency services leaders and industry partners at CAA Congress 2026 in Canberra.

Contact Martin Walker 0458 568 491 martin.walker@workweargroup.com.au

www.workweargroupuniforms.com.au

Excellence in Patient Care

Recognising patient experience, improvement, or innovation. When making their submission to this category, each service is emboldened to examine ways that their organisation has assisted specific patient cohorts where learnings were of benefit to the field of paramedicine.

Sponsored by

Awards Awards for for Excellence Excellence 2026 2024| | 39

Entrant

Excellence in Patient Care

ACT Ambulance Consumer Advisory Group ACT Ambulance Service

Team: Patrick Meere, Bethany Hore, Esther Breiner The ACT Ambulance Service (ACTAS) Consumer Advisory Group (CAG) embeds the consumer’s lived experience at the centre of how ACTAS plans, designs, delivers, monitors, and evaluates care, so that every improvement measurably reflects what matters to patients, carers, and community. The group is ACTAS’s strategic mechanism for consumer participation and advocacy, aligned to NSQHS Standard 2: Partnering with Consumers. It aims to: 1) ensure consumer input into service planning; 2) support diverse representation; 3) enable consumers to actively participate in decision-making and improvement activities; 4) strengthen community confidence in ACTAS; and 5) ensure information and education resources are accessible and meet consumer needs.

40 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Entrant

Excellence in Patient Care

Right Care, Right Place, Right Time: The Ambulance Tasmania In-field Referral Pathway Expansion Ambulance Tasmania

Team: Ryan Davis, Tim Schmidtke, Jen Bolster, Laura Butler Ambulance Tasmania (AT) expanded its in-field referral pathways so that more low-acuity patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time, without defaulting to Emergency Department (ED) conveyance. Between 2024 and 2026, we strengthened and standardised on-scene clinical decision-making through the Treatment, Conveyance, and Referral CPG, supported by statewide mandatory face-to-face training. We embedded inclusion and exclusion criteria, NEWS2, consent checks, and safety-netting, and we expanded a partnered ecosystem of alternatives including Community Paramedicine (ComPar), Care@Home, Urgent Care, mental health responses (PACER/MHER, Access Mental Health 24/7, Safe Haven, Older Persons Mental Health Service Rapid Access Service), culturally safe care (Tasmanian Aboriginal Health Service), dental and allied health options, and the NDIS After-Hours Crisis Referral. This has supported patients to access timely, appropriate, person-centred care closer to home.

Utilisation of in-field referrals reached a five-year high in 2025 (457 referrals), with strong year-on-year growth in 2024 (+135.0%) and 2025 (+21.5%), nearly tripling since 2020 (+175%), providing evidence of statewide adoption and clinician confidence in safe non-conveyance when criteria are met. The model improves patient experience by reducing unnecessary ED presentations, shortening time-toappropriate care, and connecting people to services that can safely meet their needs, including older people at risk of falls, people with mental-health distress, those with minor head injuries, frailty or mobility issues, acute dental problems, and chronic-condition exacerbations. Standardised discharge advice and explicit red/yellowflag thresholds provide safety and clarity for patients and carers, while partnered handovers support continuity. Governance is embedded through CPG-linked assessment (e.g., NEWS2, recognition of deterioration), mandatory consent checks, and service-specific inclusion/exclusion criteria; ComPar coverage extends across Hobart, Ulverstone and Launceston with rostered hours to 23:26, and clinicians access decision support via ComCen and Secondary Triage when needed. ComPar can also write follow-up letters to alternate service providers and General Practitioners through the Department of Health digital infrastructure, ensuring continuity of care.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 41

Entrant

Excellence in Patient Care

Palliative Care Connect Initiative Ambulance Victoria

Team: Steve Doyle, Norieul Kinross In July 2021, the We Are AV Engaged (WAVE) Palliative Program commenced a Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) initiative to test the assumption that early identification of palliative patients for Ambulance Victoria (AV) paramedics responding to end-of-life events would improve experiences for patients, families, and clinicians. The initiative was prompted by recognition that, during responses to imminent cardiac arrest in palliative patients, relevant information about goals of care was often unavailable. In the absence of this information, there was an increased risk of interventions or transport that were not aligned with patient preferences. An initial informal trial in 2021 relied on manual phone notifications and the creation of patient alerts using AV’s existing Special Situations (SS) process, which was traditionally designed for Occupational Violence risk alerts. While promising, this approach lacked sustainability and data consistency. After a postpandemic pause and several short-term pilots, a formal six-week pilot was launched in early 2024 with support from AV’s Patient Care Academy. This phase focused on refining processes and testing feasibility.

42 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Following further development of a sustainable workflow and a formal clinical governance framework, a final pilot commenced in mid-November 2024 and ran through to late April 2025. This longer pilot was designed to generate robust data to evaluate impact and inform potential permanent implementation. It was intentionally targeted to rural Victoria through the Paramedic Community Support Coordinator (PCSC) network, leveraging their strong relationships with local specialist palliative care services. In addition to significant person-centred benefits, the pilots demonstrated potential system-level improvements, particularly for rural and remote settings. These included reductions in unnecessary or unwanted hospital transports and decreased demand for advanced life support or Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) resources when such interventions were not required to meet the patient’s goals of care. This freed scarce resources while ensuring appropriate, patient-centred end-of-life support. Independent review of stakeholder feedback highlighted key outcomes: more consistent delivery of documented patient wishes, improved continuity of care across multidisciplinary teams, and reduced anxiety for patients and families. Frontline paramedics reported feeling better prepared and supported when attending imminent end-of-life presentations, citing early notification and the ability to consult directly with specialist palliative care services as critical enablers of confident, compassionate care.

Entrant

Excellence in Patient Care

Diversion and Beyond: Unlocking the Full Potential of Interagency Emergency Care Ambulance Victoria

Team: Nicole Magnuson, Dr Amanda Burnside, Dr Loren Sher, James Shuttlesworth, Nicole Petzierides, Dr Suzie Miller Ambulance Victoria (AV), in partnership with the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), delivered a groundbreaking embedded Emergency Physician (EP) trial that redefined what interagency collaboration can achieve in emergency care. Designed to strengthen clinical decision making in AV’s Secondary Triage Service (TS), the model placed a VVED EP onsite from 10 am to 6 pm, seven days a week, giving Triage Practitioners (TPs) and in-field paramedics immediate access to senior specialist support for complex or ambiguous presentations and expedited decision making. What emerged was far more than a diversion initiative; it became a powerful demonstration of how two organisations working side by side can deliver safer, more coordinated, and more patient-centred care. Throughout the six-week trial, TPs escalated 809 cases for rapid EP review, with 58.7 per cent safely avoiding unnecessary ambulance dispatch or hospital attendance. This was complemented by 60 infield escalations, where EP guidance helped paramedics navigate prolonged VVED wait times and reduced total ambulance case times by up to an hour by expediting decisions to transport appropriate patients to the hospital. Previewed cases significantly lowered Triple Zero Victoria (TZV) recontact rates (3.8 per cent vs 12.7 per cent), clearly demonstrating improved first-time pathway accuracy and reduced demand on emergency resources.

The collaboration between AV and VVED transformed longstanding operational challenges into opportunities for integrated care. Previously, siloed systems created delays, duplication, and limited visibility across the patient journey. The embedded EP bridged these gaps, enabling real-time information sharing, streamlined handovers, and faster access to VVED clinicians. One powerful example involved a 76-year-old residential aged care facility (RACF) patient awaiting ambulance attendance in severe pain. Through rapid escalation, the embedded EP expedited a VVED consultation, enabling immediate opioid administration onsite, improving patient comfort whilst awaiting ambulance transport. The trial also delivered significant workforce benefits. TPs reported enhanced confidence, a deeper understanding of VVED capability, and strengthened interagency relationships. Collaboration with an EP elevated clinical reasoning, supported professional development, and increased willingness to utilise alternate pathways. The success of this trial demonstrates the powerful system-wide value of genuine partnership. By dissolving silos and embedding a unified clinical approach, AV and VVED created a model that is scalable, transferable, and aligned with the future of connected emergency care. This initiative unlocked the full potential of interagency collaboration, delivering improved patient experience, more efficient resource utilisation, and a more sustainable emergency healthcare system.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 43

Entrant

Excellence in Patient Care

Complex Operations Ambulance Project NSW Ambulance

Team: Mark Gibbs, Lauren Mansell, Carmo Morales, Ols Duerr-Reuther, Michael Phillips, Patrick Matthes, Chris Gothard, Kirsy England, Andrea Herring, Stephanie Looi, Dr Jimmy Bliss, Brett Campny NSW Ambulance is delivering a contemporary, statewide model to improve care for bariatric and other complex patients, addressing long-standing clinical and operational risks, mobilisation delays, and variation in practice across the state. Recent serious adverse event reviews and a thematic review of existing Multipurpose Vehicle (MPV) operations highlighted issues familiar to ambulance services nationally: aging fleet capability, inconsistent training, unclear governance, uneven access to specialist resources and delays in deploying appropriate crews and equipment. These gaps create avoidable safety risks for high-risk and bariatric patients. In response, NSW Ambulance is implementing a coordinated uplift that brings together modern fleet capability, standardised training, consistent clinical guidance and strengthened governance. The project is anchored by the rollout of 18 new, custom-built Complex Operations Ambulances (COAs), replacing the current MPV Heavy and Light ambulances. The new vehicles are designed to support safe bariatric transport and a broader range of complex patient scenarios, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) transfers, high-consequence infectious disease (HCID) management and major incident response.

The program also standardises how staff are trained and supported. A new training and credentialing framework, developed across key directorates, ensures operators and general clinicians are equipped to use bariatric equipment safely, manage complex patients confidently, and work consistently across the state. A train-the-trainer model supports sustainable regional delivery. To reduce delays and ensure reliable access to specialist resources, the model aligns clinical policy, dispatch rules, and escalation pathways. Control Centres are supported in identifying bariatric and complex patient needs earlier and in mobilising the right resources at the right time. Statewide modelling informs where vehicles are placed, how they are staffed, and how readiness is maintained. Governance has been strengthened through three inter-disciplinary, cross-directorate Working Groups and a Steering Committee that manage risk and enable evidence-based decision-making to guide the update of clinical guidelines, and a staged transition to centralised governance within the Aeromedical and Special Operations Directorate. Early achievements include creating a preliminary risk register, alignment between the key clinical and operational governance frameworks, and statewide equipment compatibility work with aeromedical services. Together, these changes will reduce mobilisation delays, improve clinician safety and confidence, and provide more consistent, dignified care for bariatric and complex patients across the state. The model is designed to be scalable and transferable, offering a blueprint for other ambulance services facing similar challenges. This uplift positions NSW Ambulance as a leader in bariatric and complex patient care across Australasia.

44 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Entrant

Excellence in Patient Care

Queensland Ambulance Service – Sepsis Virtual Assessment Tool Queensland Ambulance Service

Team: Dr Claire Bertenshaw, Brendan Schultz The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) has developed and implemented a sepsis virtual identification tool as part of a broader strategy to improve early recognition of sepsis, support clinician decision making, and prompt timely escalation of care, including Ambulance response priority allocations. The implementation of the QAS sepsis virtual assessment tool represents an effort to embed earlier and more consistent sepsis recognition into pre-hospital care, even prior to Ambulance arrival on scene. The Virtual Sepsis Identification Tool was developed in collaboration with Clinical Excellence Queensland and the Sepsis Network. The tool incorporates pre-existing risk profiles along with current symptoms and signs to determine a clinical risk for sepsis and therefore modify a priority Ambulance dispatch. The tool outcome also specifies collaboration with the QAS Senior Medical Clinical Co-ordinator in the Clinical Hub and timing for re-assessment via phone if there is a delayed Ambulance response. The sepsis tool was initially piloted in the Clinical Hub in October 2024, and since its inception has been constantly reviewed and improved with the incorporation of feedback from both the clinician and patient experiences.

The implementation intends to standardise assessment, reduce missed or delayed recognition, and strengthen communication between paramedics and receiving hospital teams. The tool is intended to support, not replace, clinical judgment and improve overall patient safety. Overall, the implementation can be understood as a digital or virtual decision support initiative and more consistent prehospital recognition of deteriorating patients. The QAS Sepsis Tool is more than a clinical resource — it is a patient safety initiative born from reflection, collaboration, and a determination to do better for our patients. It has turned learning from poor outcomes into meaningful change, giving clinicians a clearer and more consistent way to identify sepsis early and act sooner. Through thoughtful design, stakeholder engagement, education, refinement, and evaluation, the project has delivered a practical innovation with real potential to save lives. This is why it stands out as an initiative: it is evidence of a service that listens, learns, improves, and puts patients first. It demonstrates excellence in innovation, equity, implementation, and impact, and showcases the very best of what QAS can achieve.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 45

Finalist

Excellence in Patient Care

Reducing harm from sedation administration: Using evidence to strengthen safe practices and prevent cardiac arrest Ambulance Victoria

Team: Emily Mahony, Dr Ziad Nehme, Dr Tegwyn McManamny, Tim Kennett Ambulance Victoria’s comprehensive review of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) following the administration of sedation has provided a critical evidence base that is directly improving patient care, clinical decision-making, and system safety. By linking medication data with cardiac arrest outcomes, this tenyear analysis examined more than 5.5 million emergency cases and represents the most detailed evaluation to date of the relationship between prehospital sedative administration and subsequent cardiac arrest. Recently, concerns have emerged about whether adverse events occurring post-sedation represented isolated coincidences or a broader, system-level risk. The expanding use of newer sedatives, including ketamine, olanzapine and droperidol, further underscored the need for a rigorous, organisation-wide analysis to understand how sedation practices intersect with patient deterioration, and to ensure paramedic care remains safe, evidence-informed, and responsive to evolving clinical practice. The review identified that sedation administration by paramedics has quadrupled over the previous decade (262 doses per 10,000 cases in 2024), yet sedation-related cardiac arrest is rare (7 arrests per 10,000 cases), and its incidence has remained stable. However, the review identified that important differences exist between sedative agents and patient cohorts.

46 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Multivariable analysis identified prior ketamine administration was associated with a 2-fold increase in the odds of EMS-witnessed OHCA for trauma patients, while prior droperidol administration was associated with an approximate 7-fold increase in mental health/drug and alcohol and trauma sub-groups. Midazolam administration was found to be protective after accounting for patient acuity, associated with a 73% reduction in the odds of OHCA. Audits conducted by a senior clinician identified a pattern of inadequate airway preparation and perfusion management of patients who arrest post-sedation. However, logistic regression models demonstrated there was no association between prior sedation and OHCA survival when patient acuity was adjusted for. This analysis highlights opportunities to refine harmreduction strategies, including favouring ketamine over droperidol in certain high-risk groups, and enhancing monitoring for patients with profound physiological derangements. Importantly, the work reassures clinicians that sedation itself is not associated with poorer survival outcomes after OHCA when clinical acuity is accounted for, by helping remove inappropriate blame and instead focus attention on patient risk stratification and early deterioration recognition. This quality assurance initiative exemplifies excellence in patient care by translating robust epidemiological methods into practical, patient-centred improvements. It strengthens clinical governance, enhances paramedic confidence, improves safety in complex behavioural and trauma presentations, and ultimately advances the quality of care delivered to the Victorian community.

Finalist

Excellence in Patient Care

Deteriorating Kids NSW Ambulance

Team: Anna Carroll, Stephanie Looi, Jack Richardson Parental concern is a well-established early warning sign for paediatric deterioration, yet within NSW Ambulance, it has often been applied informally, inconsistently, or without documentation.

A comprehensive change program underpinned the rollout: • An NSW Ambulance specific online learning package completed by 3,500+ staff from all craft groups; • Statewide communications;

Failure to recognise and act on paediatric deterioration is a patient safety risk. At NSW Ambulance, it is also a driver of consumer feedback.

• High levels of stakeholder engagement; and

Recent evidence shows that a positive response to “Are you worried they are getting worse?” is associated with critical illness more strongly than any individual abnormal vital sign.

We believe the initiative, which is low-cost and intuitive, is readily transferable to any ambulance service. By routinely treating parent/carer concern as clinical data—not just context—NSW Ambulance is improving paediatric safety and experience while enabling earlier detection of deterioration.

NSW Ambulance has embedded a single question— “Are you worried they are getting worse?”— across the paediatric patient journey to systematically elicit, document, and act on parent/carer concern for deterioration. We have embedded this at various places within the ambulance context, including within Control Centre processes, Virtual Clinical Care Centre and frontline clinician assessments.

• Active sponsorship from Advisory Board level downwards.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 47

Finalist

Excellence in Patient Care

SJWA State Defibrillator Network Improves Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Patient Outcomes St John WA

Team: Caitlyn Pavey-Smith, Helina Farnsworth, Becky West, Niamh Taylor-Hughes St John WA’s State Defibrillator Network (SDN) is a unique patient-centred, system-level innovation helping deliver world-class out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival rates and the largest coordinated Automated External Defibrillator (AED) registry and deployment network in Australia. OHCA survival and neurological outcomes are determined in the first minutes, with global studies proving community response in the ‘Chain of Survival’ is more impactful than ambulance and hospital. WA’s most recent data shows patients in shockable rhythms are more than twice as likely to survive if they receive their first shock from a community AED rather than from the ambulance crew. And when faced with WA’s vast distances, community resilience is critical. Unlike some Australian AED registries, the SDN is fully integrated into SJWA's computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system and registered AEDs automatically surface based on geographic proximity, so all nearby devices are visible in the critical seconds of a Triple Zero (000) call. SJWA's State Control Centre (SCC) can also directly request the AED be brought to the patient via emergency contacts stored for the location – saving time and lending greater assistance to the scene without interrupting CPR. This combination distinguishes the WA model and transforms AEDs from passive assets into actively deployed clinical interventions.

48 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

The SDN has expanded rapidly in recent years to reach milestones of more than 12,000 registered AEDs at more than 10,000 locations, with about a third publicly accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7). And the impact is: • 43[JB1] % of OHCAs in public places had a community AED applied prior to ambulance arrival (15% overall); • Where a SDN activation occurred, 30-day survival was 30.9%, compared with 6.7% where no activation occurred; and • 91% of survivors were discharged from the hospital with a good neurological outcome, thanks also to bystander CPR (81%). Patient impact is best illustrated by a 47-year-old father who regained consciousness following his cardiac arrest on an isolated WA beach, more than 90 minutes from help, thanks to three shocks from an SDN-registered AED and bystander CPR. The SDN is not simply a registry of AEDs but the connective fibre between community capability and clinical response. It ensures every available resource is mobilised in the first minutes, no matter the location, strengthening the Chain of Survival, saving lives and improving patient care.

GIVE YOUR EMS TEAM THE ProQA EDGE. Provide your EMS team with faster, more accurate information using ProQA®. ProQA emergency calltaking software gives your calltakers a standardised, proven set of medical protocols to assess the situation and deliver key information to your EMS team. Your team needs accurate and pertinent information fast—ProQA delivers. Learn how the most trusted solution worldwide for EMS dispatch can increase the effectiveness and safety of your EMS team at prioritydispatch.net. Contact your Regional Rep +61 412.580.283

Excellence in Leadership

Recognising management practise and operational improvement and innovation in: Management culture, open communication, accountability, management development, professional standards, and diversity of workforce, and operational protocols and work practices relative to how service delivery is provided. When making their submission to this category, each service is encouraged to analyse the programmes they have implemented that paves the way in leadership for future generations.

Sponsored by

Awards Awards for for Excellence Excellence 2026 2025| | 51

Entrant

Excellence in Leadership

Learning From Incivility: Leading Cultural Change Through Evidence-Based Insights Ambulance Victoria

Team: Dr Melanie Villani, A/Prof Ziad Nehme, Dr Tegwyn McManamny, Jillian Gemmell, Deb Riseley The ‘Learning from incivility: Leading cultural change through evidence-based insights’ project is an evidencebased initiative that uses consumer complaint insights to elevate patient experience and improve staff professionalism and organisational accountability. The project is a six-year review of behaviour-related complaints from consumers, covering more than 4.1 million emergency cases across metropolitan and regional Victoria. Through detailed quantitative analysis of 1,062 complaints, the project established a clearer understanding of the trends and context of complaints raised about paramedic behaviour. The analysis showed that the majority of complaints were related to rudeness or incivility (72%) and lack of empathy (20%), suggesting that communication and interpersonal conduct are central to patient experience and trust in emergency medical services. While the statewide number of complaints increased over time, the complaint rate remained stable when adjusted for caseload. This is important, as it reframes organisational understanding and prevents misinterpretation of trends.

52 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Patterns within the data revealed targeted opportunities for improvement. Complaints were more common in some Victorian regions during COVID-19 lockdowns, and overnight between 1800 and 0600 hours. Complaint patients were more often female, middleaged and presenting with conditions such as infection, gastrointestinal issues, no problem/unknown problem or mental health concerns. Staff associated with complaint cases tended to be younger, male, full-time and with fewer years of service. These insights provide a foundation for a leadership-led cultural improvement. The project supports leaders to translate the findings into local action through structured discussion, education, and resource development. It also supports the development of a psychologically safe culture by reframing complaints as learning opportunities rather than performance failures. The program places Ambulance Victoria (AV) at the forefront nationally by introducing a benchmarked complaint rate, supporting broader efforts to understand how civility influences patient experience and overall system performance.

Entrant

Excellence in Leadership

QAS – CHHHS Nurse Interfacility Transfer (NIFT) Co-Responder Model Queensland Ambulance Service

Team: Manjeet Singh, Cass Abell, Brina Keating, Dr Daniel Bodnar, Rebecca Costello In rural and regional health systems, interfacility transfers are essential to patient care but often create unintended pressure across both ambulance and hospital services. Traditionally, they rely on acute singleparamedic ambulances and local nurses to escort patients, resulting in workforce disruption and variability in how transfers are coordinated and delivered. In the Far North Queensland context, these challenges were amplified by geographic distance, workforce limitations, and increasing demand. While the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Interfacility Transfer (IFT) Priority Pilot improved triage and coordination, it revealed an important insight: improving processes alone would not resolve the underlying system constraints. The workforce model and structure itself required consideration. In response, the QAS and Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) jointly developed the Nurse IFT (NIFT) Co-Responder Model. This model integrates a paramedic and a Queensland Health Registered Nurse into a dedicated, multidisciplinary transfer unit, supported by shared governance, coordinated dispatch, and a clearly defined clinical scope. It replaces fragmented escort arrangements with a rostered, predictable, and system-aligned approach to interfacility care.

Early evaluation demonstrates meaningful improvements across both organisations. Workforce reliability improved, with shift capture increasing from 48% to 93%, alongside improved meal break compliance and reduced shift extensions. Hospital system benefits were equally substantial, with a reduction in nurse escorts of approximately 20%, a 49% reduction in time away from rural facilities, a 48% reduction in escort-related overtime, and a 54% reduction in associated taxi costs. These changes reflect a more sustainable use of the workforce across both services. Operationally, the model enabled a greater proportion of interfacility transfer demand to be managed within a dedicated and coordinated pathway, improving predictability, planning, and system flow. Feedback from receiving sites consistently highlighted improved communication, visibility, and reduced local burden. The NIFT Co-Responder Model demonstrates how cross-agency leadership can move beyond incremental improvement to deliver system reform. By aligning workforce capability with patient need, and integrating ambulance and hospital services, the model provides a scalable approach to interfacility care in rural and regional settings.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 53

Entrant

Excellence in Leadership

QAS SOAR Initiative

Queensland Ambulance Service

Team: Peta Thompson, Rebecca Atherton, Hayley Salthorne, Samantha Herring, Stacie Ramana, Lisa Dibley, Brina Keating, Conor Fardon, Dr Claire Bertenshaw, Sally Wuersching, Mel Tecarr, Krystal Smith The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Supporting Others to Achieve and Rise (SOAR) is a pioneering, women-led initiative transforming leadership pathways, equity, and gendered cultural change across the organisation. Importantly, the SOAR initiative is created for women, by women, ensuring lived experience drives meaningful and sustainable change. Born from grassroots, an advisory group of 13 women across the organisation (many of them previous CAA Women in Leadership Award recipients), codesigned the SOAR initiative dedicated to breaking down actual or perceived barriers through advice, connection, development, and sponsorship of women across the QAS to achieve and rise.

54 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

The SOAR initiative has rapidly grown a network of more than 250 members throughout the organisation to dismantle systemic barriers, and co-design equitable systems that enable women to thrive in leadership at all levels through all career pathways now and into the future. SOAR Initiative has improved the leadership culture by providing a gender diversity lens that contributes to the QAS culture of inclusion, belonging, connection and development through a structured framework: Network, Elevate and Advise. Most recently, the creation and launch of SOAR Elevate and Executive Sponsorship pathways. The QAS SOAR initiative is now reaching outside of QAS to bring belonging and inclusion to other jurisdictional Ambulance Services to embark on a shared journey to support others to achieve and rise.

Entrant

Excellence in Leadership

Incident Leadership on Mass Scale for SJWA thanks to AIIMS St John WA

Team: Philip Townsend, Phil Watson In 2025, St John WA (SJWA) undertook critical reforms uniquely targeting incident leadership during disaster response, utilising national emergency services-aligned training. For the first time that involved two major but distinctly separate operational streams. Recognising Western Australia (WA) is one of the most complex operational environments in the world, vastly serviced by 5723 volunteers - across remote deserts, cyclone-prone coastlines, isolated communities, and mass gathering urban centres - SJWA delivered: • a regional and remote ambulance leadership capability program built on the Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management System (AIIMS); and • a workforce-wide reform of command and support structures within metropolitan Event Health Services (EHS) based on AIIMS principles. Together, these reforms created a unified capability for volunteer and career leaders across high-risk major incident and disaster response operations, and busy multifactorial high-risk event environments that is nationally recognised. Supported by $66,781 in National Disaster Risk Reduction (NDRR) grant funding that was matched in-kind by SJWA, AIIMS was delivered to more than 120 frontline leaders, volunteers, and essential EHS leadership members.

Leaders in Goldfields, Mid-West and North-West, as well as metro, were equipped with shared language and skills traditionally less accessible to those working in a remote regional capacity, dramatically enhancing their confidence and capability to manage major incidents, multi-agency responses, and austere environment emergencies. EHS, in tandem, launched a comprehensive leadership reform program embedding AIIMS frameworks across its 16 volunteer divisions to redefine management of mass events across WA. By undergoing AIIMS and Major Incident Medical Management & Support (MIMMS) training, event leadership was able to embed disaster response learnings that correlated with ambulance, clarifying EHS command roles, strengthened governance, and established consistent pathways for escalation, communication and operational decision-making. As well as utilisation for surge workforce requirements in the face of major disasters or mass casualty incidents, EHS often acts as first aid support during bushfires that threaten fringe metropolitan suburbs during peak summer periods. Together, these initiatives created a leadership program that enhances the organisation’s ability to respond to disasters, supports the Hazard Management Agency (HMA), and delivers consistent leadership capability essential for safe and effective emergency response for all Western Australians regardless of location or incident type. By elevating leadership capability “from the desert to the stadium”, SJWA has built a resilient, scalable, and equitable approach to emergency management leadership across WA.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 55

Finalist

Excellence in Leadership

Tactical Paramedic Team Program NSW Ambulance

Team: Cameron Edgar, Lawrence Knight, Adam Cantrick, Oliver Ellis, Steven Green NSW Ambulance and the NSW Police Force co-designed and implemented the Tactical Paramedic Team (TPT), an operational model embedding specialist tactical paramedics within police tactical units to deliver immediate advanced medical care and integrated operational advice during high-risk incidents such as sieges, armed offender events, and counter-terrorism operations. The initiative transforms inter-agency collaboration from siloed responses into true operational integration. Tactical paramedics operate within police command structures while maintaining strong clinical governance, enabling real-time clinical input during tactical decisionmaking. The program aligns governance, training, policy, communications, and after-action learning across both agencies to support safe, coordinated responses in highrisk environments. Historically, ambulance responses to high-risk incidents were staged or relied on informal liaison arrangements. This separation could delay critical care, fragment decision-making, and increase risk for patients and responders. The Tactical Paramedic Team addresses this longstanding gap by establishing clear scopes of practice, shared operating procedures, and joint governance arrangements.

56 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

The model enables earlier access to life-saving care in austere and hostile environments; improves survivability for casualties-including police officers, victims, and offenders; and enhances operational safety through on-scene medical and tactical advice. Beyond individual incidents, the program represents a leadership model for high-maturity inter-agency partnerships. By aligning governance, accountability, training, and culture across organisational boundaries, NSW Ambulance has helped establish a repeatable framework for integrated emergency service operations. The design principles underpinning the Tactical Paramedic Team are already informing broader emergency management contexts, including major incident response, disaster operations, counter-terrorism activities, regional multi-agency deployments, and joint emergency service task forces such as Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and Australian Medical Assistance Teams (AUSMAT). The Tactical Paramedic Team demonstrates Excellence in Leadership by combining governance clarity, operational innovation, and cultural maturity to improve patient outcomes and workforce safety while providing a scalable framework for inter-agency collaboration across jurisdictions.

Finalist

Excellence in Leadership

Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition – New SAAS EOC SA Ambulance Service

Team: Kate Clarke, Kestrel Blackmore, Nichole Bastian, Elke Kropf Relocating an ambulance communications centre is a major challenge, but SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) recently achieved the live relocation of its statewide Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to its new purpose-built facility without any disruption to EOC or ambulance activities. SAAS has a single EOC managing ambulance Triple Zero (000) calls and ambulance dispatch for the whole of SA, so this was not a transition where other call centres could take more of the load while the new centre came up to speed. The foundation of the successful operational transition of the EOC was an Operational Readiness and Transition (ORAT) program that aligned infrastructure, technology, workforce capability, clinical governance, and operational procedures. The ORAT program encompassed commissioning, activation, and transition of the facility.

Through exceptional leadership, structured governance, collaborative stakeholder engagement, risk-driven execution, and a culture of accountability and innovation, the ORAT program delivered: • 100% operational readiness at go-live; • Zero loss of emergency call capacity during transition; • Enhanced call handling performance and workflow optimisation; • Improved workforce confidence and resilience; and • A future-ready, scalable communications environment. The leadership approach prioritised patient safety, workforce engagement, and system reliability, setting a new benchmark for emergency communications centre transitions The ORAT program for the SAAS EOC relocation demonstrates how disciplined governance, adaptive leadership, and people-centred change management can transform high-risk infrastructure transitions into safe, seamless, and future-ready operational success.

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 57

Finalist

Excellence in Leadership

Building Wairarapa Station – Creating a Government, Community and Philanthropic Partnership Wellington Free Ambulance

Team: Clare Carruthers, Rachel Wilson, The Fundraising and Property Teams at WFA The Build Wairarapa Station capital fundraising appeal demonstrates what can be achieved when a community unites behind a clear purpose, guided by strategic, valuesdriven fundraising and communications leadership. It also highlights the effectiveness of a partnership model between the government and community philanthropy. In just 18 months, Wellington Free Ambulance inspired the Wairarapa region to raise an extraordinary contribution towards the $8.5 million required to build a fully equipped ambulance station. This was an unprecedented outcome achieved without external consultants, capital campaign specialists, or a substantial campaign budget. Instead, success was driven by disciplined planning, strong in-house expertise and a people-first approach that delivered transformational impact in a rural community. At the heart of the campaign was a meticulously crafted strategy that aligned fundraising, marketing, community engagement, and operational priorities. Every action was intentional, every message grounded in local relevance, and every donor journey personalised. Support came from across all giving streams, including major gifts, government funding, philanthropic trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, service clubs, community groups, and individual donors.

It included both the largest individual gift ever received by Wellington Free Ambulance and support from one of New Zealand’s most high-profile individuals, reflecting the broad resonance of the project and the trust placed in the brand of Wellington Free Ambulance. An integrated communications approach brought the Wairarapa’s story to life. Through targeted messaging, authentic outreach, and well-planned marketing activity, the team built emotional connection, pride, and a sense of urgency. The campaign empowered local champions and ambassadors, whose voices and advocacy extended reach far beyond what traditional fundraising channels could achieve. Critical to the campaign’s success was the ability to continually adapt. As budgets shifted and timelines evolved, the team refined tactics while maintaining absolute clarity of purpose. The approach demonstrates how agility, when grounded in a strong strategy, can elevate outcomes rather than compromise them. Beyond raising the funds to build a lifesaving facility, the appeal achieved something equally significant: it created a new wave of engaged supporters across the region. The opening of the station marked the beginning of an enduring relationship with a community now deeply connected to Wellington Free Ambulance’s mission. Ongoing stewardship, recognition, and engagement activities ensure this momentum continues well beyond the capital project. The Build Wairarapa Station campaign is a real-world example of what is possible when strategic expertise in fundraising and communications draws out community passion for the benefit of the ambulance service.

58 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

Excellence in

Mental Health & Wellbeing First introduced in 2021, this category recognises innovation and excellence a service has provided both staff and patients in improvements in mental health and wellbeing, including programmes, training and support. When making their submission to this category, each service is encouraged to share their undertakings in mental health and wellbeing for all stakeholders in the ambulance sector, including patients, staff, and leaders.

Sponsored by

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 61

Finalist

Excellence in Mental Health & Wellbeing

Empowering Ambulance Personnel – Menstruation Support in ACT Ambulance ACT Ambulance Service

Team: Erin Mengler, Lisa Hobbs, Louise Reynolds, Scott Devenish This project addresses the wellbeing of ambulance personnel who menstruate or experience perimenopause and menopause-related symptoms. The ambulance sector as a workplace can have diverse challenges, with many of these challenges central to the dynamic nature of the work, often resulting in inconsistent breaks, access to menstruation products and/or access to bathroom facilities.

62 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

With most ambulance services now achieving gender parity, ensuring equitable access to essential menstruation support items is critical. This initiative focuses on creating supportive, inclusive, and well-resourced environments that enable all staff to manage their health with dignity, ultimately strengthening workforce wellbeing and operational readiness.

Finalist

Excellence in Mental Health & Wellbeing

PAWS: Early Intervention for Strengthening Wellbeing St John WA

Team: Janice Wong, Ben Mann, Sarah Trozzo, Rudi Brits Over the past 18 months, St John WA’s Psychology and Wellbeing Services (PAWS) has undergone a deliberate and transformative redesign to create a modern, evidence-based, and values-driven mental health service tailored to the complex needs of diverse ambulance teams. Recognising that traditional, reactive support models were insufficient for a geographically vast state and SJWA’s hybrid team of more than 8000 volunteer and career members, PAWS’ service delivery now prioritises prevention, early detection, and system-level psychosocial risk management in line with WA Work Health Safety (WHS) legislation. Guided by transparency, authenticity and respect, the team co-designed PAWS as nuanced and diverse as the state-wide team it serves, culminating in a four-pillar service model: • Education & Training; • Clinical Support & Intervention; • Psychosocial Safety; and • and Post-Service Aftercare. Each continues to be guided by consultation with frontline and communications officers, as well as regional teams. This approach has ensured the model is practical, culturally appropriate, and aligned with the lived experiences of those working in high-risk operational environments.

Key innovations to strengthen early intervention and specialist oversight include: • The introduction of organisation-wide psychosocial hazard identification through the FlourishDx platform; • Development of a confidential psychosocial reporting pathway enabling stigma-free reporting of sensitive concerns; • Embedding of Wellbeing Operations Support Officers (WOSOs) within the State Control Centre (SCC) – a national ambulance first – to integrate psychosocial risk considerations into operational decision-making; and • Recruitment of specialised mental health clinicians, including a Psychosocial Return to Work Coordinator. PAWS has significantly enhanced accessibility and equity of support, particularly for regional and remote team members. Dedicated regional Wellbeing Coordinators, expanded External Assistance Provider (EAP) availability statewide, and greater uptake of 24/7 Wellbeing Phone Line ensure timely and confidential support for all workers and their families. Proactive monitoring of cumulative trauma exposure and improved data integration now allow earlier, more targeted intervention, reducing reliance on crisis-driven responses. Early outcomes demonstrate: • Strong cultural and operational impact; • Increased reporting of sensitive matters; • Improved hazard visibility; • Strengthened leadership capability; and • A shift from scepticism to deep engagement with PAWS services in regional communities. Education programs, including paramedic Continuous Education Programs (CEP) sessions, received outstanding feedback (4.8/5).

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 63

Finalist

Excellence in Mental Health & Wellbeing

PAWS: Early Intervention for Strengthening Wellbeing (cont.) St John WA

PAWS’ transformation from reactive to proactive support and interventions illustrates that psychosocial safety can be embedded into core ambulance operations without compromising response capability. SJWA has created a unique, sustainable, scalable model that protects those who protect the community.

64 | The Council for Ambulance Authorities

The Star Award Chosen from amongst each of the six category winners, the Star Award is the ultimate recognition of excellence in the ambulance sector. A star award winner is recognised as doing something uniquely innovative in the ambulance sector, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.

Sponsored by

Awards for Excellence 2026 | 67

Women in Leadership Symposium A powerful one-day event for emerging and established female leaders in ambulance and pre-hospital care.

NOV 2026

Develop practical skills and tools for career growth

MELBOURNE

Novotel on Collins

Hear from succesful women and inspiring industry leaders

Network with like-minded professionals

TICKETS NOW ON SALE Visit caa.net.au/symposium to learn more and stay up to date.

Women in Leadership Scholarship winner announcement

Connect with us on LinkedIn The Council of Ambulance Authorities Inc. Follow us on Facebook The Council of Ambulance Authorities Find us on X @CAAAustralasia Subscribe to our channel Council of Ambulance Authorities

To stay up to date with information on upcoming CAA activities please visit