The Australian College of Ambulance Professionals (ACAP) is the leading representative association for professionals engaged in the delivery of pre-hospital emergency medical systems. ACAP provides a national platform for policies and representation to enhance the quality of pre-hospital emergency patient care in Australia.

ACAP does this by representing the interests of its members throughout Australia on matters relating to:

• professional pre-hospital care and associated issues;
• enhancing the professional standards of education, training, continuing development and accreditation;
• communication, cooperation and interaction between ACAP members and members of allied professional associations;
• promoting the attainment of national registration for all paramedics who have nationally recognised qualifications and expertise in the provision of emergency pre-hospital services.

ACAP supports its membership by:

• providing opportunities for ongoing education;
• the provision of a general interest paramedic magazine (Response) and a scientific peer reviewed electronic journal (Journal of Primary Healthcare);
• providing opportunities for evidence based research to be undertaken, presented and published via our Annual Conference, Research Forum and Journal of Emergency Primary Healthcare.

The ACAP National AGM will be held at the Melbourne Convention Centre at 1045 on Thursday 4th September 2008.

ACAP has an abiding professional interest in policy matters that affect the delivery of
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and is uniquely positioned to provide insights into the role of EMS in the continuum of health care.

In preparing this submission ACAP has placed a focus on identifying issues of broad policy significance as befits the initial stages of enquiry by the National Health and Hospitals Reform Committee (NHHRC). These should be the topic of further in-depth research culminating in a number of ‘white papers’ for informed debate and community input for an appropriate period of time before determination of major policies.

The submission documents can be found below:

• NHHRC_ACAP Submission_Executive Summary

• NHHRC_ACAP Submission on Health Reform

• NHHRC_Attachment A_NHHRC Terms of Reference

• NHHRC_Attachment B_NHHRC Health Care Principles

• NHHRC__Attachment C_Summary of ACAP Recommendations

JEPHC is the Official Journal of the Australian College of Ambulance Professionals and is published in partnership with the Monash University Centre for Ambulance and Paramedic Studies (MUCAPS).

The focus of JEPHC is the multidisciplinary emergency primary health care community.

Click HERE for the current version of JEPHC.

Check out this edition now.  Response welcomes and encourages any new articles or ideas, as well as feedback or discussion issues through letters to the editor.  If you have prepared a report as part of work or study - why not consider submitting this for publication?  We are seeking written contributions and ambulance related photos for upcoming editions.  Visit the Response web page for more information or send an email to editor@acap.org.au.