DIARY OF A PARAMEDIC IN A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CLINIC Examining the attributes and practices of paramedics working in primary health care contexts

With
Alecka Miles, Lecturer
Edith Cowan University, Western Australia &
Community Paramedic,
Dianella Family Medical Centre, Western Australia

PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Perth, Western Australia | October 2025

Alecka Miles is a lecturer at Edith Cowan University and works as a paramedic in a multidisciplinary team at Dianella Family Medical Centre in Metropolitan Perth, Western Australia.

Community paramedic roles have a history in Australia, dating back to 2007 in New South Wales and followed by similar initiatives in South Australia and New Zealand. Alecka’s position emerged after she sought to evaluate how paramedics could integrate into general practice, ultimately leading to a job offer post-COVID lockdown in 2020. Her skills, particularly in cannulation, proved valuable as healthcare shifted towards primary care.

In her role, Alecka conducts community health assessments, providing insights from her paramedic background. She notes a significant learning curve, having expanded her role far beyond her initial experiences in ambulance services.

Alecka’s research aims to explore the practices and demographic characteristics of paramedics working in primary healthcare contexts in Australia and New Zealand.

At Dianella, she collaborates with nurses and other healthcare professionals, emphasising patient-centred and holistic care. Their teamwork is characterised by mutual respect and recognition of each other’s strengths, fostering a supportive environment for managing both urgent care and chronic disease management.

Australian Health Journal spoke to her about her day to day experience in general practice.

Source: Written from transcript
Footage credit: ACPIC24, Australasian College of Paramedicine