Accountability
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In a role that exercises autonomy, the paramedic is accountable not only to their employer. The paramedic is equally subject to the law but there are particular observations of legislation to be made by practitioners, such as those surrounding informed consent, mental capacity, confidentiality and drug administration. Blaber (2012) suggests that most of the legislative governance surrounding paramedic practice is absorbed by the policies and procedures of the employing health service. Health and safety, data protection and drug protocols are examples of these. A further example is the development of the Paramedic Pathfinder (North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, 2012), a framework to encourage the safe evaluation of treatment options and guide the pre-hospital clinician in the decision to refer to alternative health care providers. The practising paramedic is more likely to incur repercussions from civil law arising from a lack of competence, misconduct or through clinical negligence. The framework of civil law and the capabilities enshrined therein for individuals to bring cases against a clinical practitioner effectively further entails legal accountability to the general public, if not already moral and ethical accountability.
To prevent such transgressions of practice The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC, 2012), as the registrant's governing body to whom they are also accountable, maintains broad Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics as well as paramedic specific Standards of Proficiency that maintain a list of requirements related to professional, ethical and legal observations. Failing to meet these standards can result in the practitioner's fitness to practice to be questioned, investigated and if appropriate, be stricken from the professional register and so unable to practice.
In addition to criminal and civil law, the paramedic is also accountable to the coroners inquest, and can be called by the coroner to provide witness statements of fact, patient records, or to give evidence to the coroner and other invested parties (Blaber, 2012).
To prevent such transgressions of practice The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC, 2012), as the registrant's governing body to whom they are also accountable, maintains broad Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics as well as paramedic specific Standards of Proficiency that maintain a list of requirements related to professional, ethical and legal observations. Failing to meet these standards can result in the practitioner's fitness to practice to be questioned, investigated and if appropriate, be stricken from the professional register and so unable to practice.
In addition to criminal and civil law, the paramedic is also accountable to the coroners inquest, and can be called by the coroner to provide witness statements of fact, patient records, or to give evidence to the coroner and other invested parties (Blaber, 2012).