New Zealand paramedics have received support in their push for national registration.

New Zealand First has joined calls for the title of ‘paramedic’ to be protected through national registration under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act.

The party’s health spokesperson Barbara Stewart said current regulations that enable anyone to establish an ambulance service and call themselves a paramedic is putting patients at risk.

“It seems illogical that a nurse who meets a patient at the emergency department has to be registered, but there is no such national registration for the emergency personnel caring for the patient on the way to hospital,” she said.

“Fortunately, our existing ambulance services train their paramedics to a high standard and answer 450,000 patient call-outs each year with a high level of competency.

“Only through national registration can we ensure that anyone using the title ‘paramedic’ is qualified to deliver the same standard of care as our current ambulance services.”

Ms Stewart said a recent Paramedics Australasia (NZ) survey found 81 per cent of paramedics favoured registration.

“The introduction of paramedic registration will go a long way to fulfilling the government’s own initiative to integrate the ambulance service within the wider health sector outlined in the Ambulance Service Strategy 2009,” she said.

“The National government has been stalling on national registration since 2009. Their attitude leaves me speechless.

“Paramedics are the emergency service of the health sector, and should be listened to and given the same respect and assurances afforded to all health practitioners.”

Australia is also pushing for its paramedics to be included in the national registration and accreditation scheme, alongside nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists and Chinese medicine practitioners.

Paramedics Australasia has been lobbying for national registration of Australia’s paramedics as part of a move to improve public safety and maintain a strong professional environment for paramedics.

Last year, the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council opted to shelve its decision on including paramedics on the national register.

The national registration of paramedics would ensure only practitioners fit to practice and meet appropriate competence standards would be able to call themselves paramedics.

Paramedics are registered in the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa.