Ambulance Service of NSW v Worley; further legal lessons for the emergency services

Abstract

The decision of the Court of Appeal in New South Wales, in Ambulance Service of NSW v Worley, gives insight into legal issues relating to the emergency services, and ambulance services in particular. This article considers the facts that gave rise to this litigation, why the trial judge found that the treating paramedic was negligent and why that decision was overturned by the NSW Court of Appeal. The paper then considers the legal principles that arise from this decision and their importance for ambulance services throughout Australia.