Case study: individual unlicenced First Aid Service
Background
In February 2023 the Department of Health (the department) received information about an individual (the offender) providing unlicenced First Aid Services. Following receipt of this information, Authorised Officers attempted to contact the offender and provided warning to not provide a First Aid Service without a licence or unless employed by a licenced First Aid Service.
Following these initial warnings, the offender engaged in deceptive conduct to avoid detection while providing an unlicenced First Aid Service at several events in regional areas during a 6-month period between June and December 2023. During this time the offender assured event organisers that he held the required qualifications to provide services at their events.
Authorised Officers continued investigations during this time. The investigation resulted in Authorised Officers attending and observing the offender providing an unlicenced First Aid Service at an event in Maldon in December 2023. After this event the offender was charged with 4 offences of providing an unlicenced First Aid Service at events between June and December 2023.
The outcome
On 3 December 2024 a 38 year old man from Bendigo was found guilty of 4 counts of providing unlicenced First Aid Services pursuant to Section 42I of the Non-Emergency Patient Transport and First Aid Services Act 2003.
The sentence included:
- a criminal conviction
- an order to pay fines and costs totalling $22,500.
Lessons to be learnt
Individuals providing an unlicenced First Aid Service risk criminal prosecution, conviction and significant penalty. A criminal conviction may affect other aspects of a persons life (including other employment or professional registration) in addition to any financial penalty imposed.
If you are operating an unlicenced First Aid Service you must stop providing unlicenced First Aid Services and contact the regulator as soon as practicable by email at NEPTFirstAidRegulation@health.vic.gov.au. Where appropriate the regulator will assist in achieving compliance and gaining a licence.
It is important that First Aid Services are licenced. Significant penalties are applied for providing unlicenced First Aid Services because:
- there is significant public health interest in the First Aid Service sector providing quality and safe service, through licensing and regulation.
- First Aid Services are the first point of contact for many injured or ill people and provide important, often lifesaving, early intervention.
- the public can be assured of certain quality measures when seeking help from or commercially engaging a licenced First Aid Service including, clinical governance, minimum equipment levels, patient care records, complaints management and a commitment to continual improvement. When a First Aid Service is not licenced there is no assurance of these quality standards and no complaints or notification process.
- licenced First Aid Services doing the right thing may not be able to compete commercially due to the compliance costs of holding a licence if unlicenced First Aid Services continue to operate.
Reviewed 26 February 2025