Careers and Vacancies

All Paramedics are required to be registered with the Health Professions Council.  Paramedics are trained to use advanced life support techniques and can administer a wide range of drugs for medical and trauma conditions. In order for them to maintain their qualification they must update their skills regularly and prove their competence through examination.

The type of work undertaken by both Technicians and Paramedics is varied and demanding. Ambulance crews rarely know in advance the severity of the emergency to which they are responding; it can range from a relatively minor illness or injury, to a road accident involving seriously injured casualties.

Both Paramedics and Technicians are trained in advanced driving skills to enable them to reach the scene of an emergency as quickly and safely as possible.

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Emergency Care Practitioners (ECPs) are Paramedics, nurses or other health professionals with additional training in injury assessment, diagnostic skills and advanced wound care. ECPs are based in the community and provide on the spot emergency treatment to patients, helping to relieve pressures on the emergency ambulance service and dealing with patients more effectively in their own home without transporting them to accident and emergency departments. Paramedics may become ECPs following sucessful completion of a BSc (Hons) in Emergency Care.

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Emergency Care Assistants (ECAs) (formerly known as Emergency Care Support Workers) work alongside Paramedics within the Trust's accident and emergency service. They use advanced driving skills under blue light and normal traffic conditions to respond to emergency and routine calls as required. Their work involves supporting a qualified practitioner in the provision of high quality and effective clinical and personal care and transportation of patients.

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ACAs work within the Patient Transport Service (PTS). They are mainly concerned with routine non-emergency work, involving patient transportation to day centres, wards, clinics and other hospital departments. Although such work does not involve the drama of emergency duties, it is crucial to the Service and provides opportunities to support and give assistance to those in need. Staff are trained extensively in basic life support skills and first aid.

ACAs ensure that older patients, those who are particularly frail or who those have disabilities are transported safely and comfortably.  They are responsible for the welfare of patients, both on the journey and during transfer to and from the the vehicle.

Ambulance crews are responsible for all the equipment on the ambulance and must make regular checks on it, restocking when necessary. They must also clean the vehicle and equipment after use. Records of journeys and patients must be kept and detailed reports completed on any treatment carried out.

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Our Accident and emergency controls deal with '999' calls as well as requests from clinical personnel for patients to arrive at hospital at a specified times (urgent calls).  Control must ensure resources are deployed effectively and efficiently.

By asking callers the right questions staff can ascertain the severity of the illness/accident and prioritise calls.  There will be occasions when an ambulance on its way to a non life threatening call will be diverted to a life threatening call.  This system replaces the old 'first come first served' way things used to be done and ensures patients are treated according to clinical need.

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PTS call handlers are an integral part of the Ambulance Service's control team.  They work in the non-emergency service, organising routine transport to take patients to and from hospital appointments and home after discharge.

Call handlers deal with all non-urgent transport requirements across the Trust's area. They are expected to undertake a diverse range of duties to ensure high quality patient care is maintained.

Call handlers are responsible for receiving, processing, accurately recording patient transport details for the effective planning and utilisation of all resources. They liaise and negotiate on a regular basis with patients, GPs, surgeries, PTS crews, voluntary ambulance car drivers, hospital departments and other healthcare professionals answering and dealing with a wide range of enquiries and situations.

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The Trust is working towards equal opportunities and having a workforce which represents the diversity of the people it serves. Due to under representation we particularly welcome job applications from people with a disability and people from minority ethnic groups. The Trust has policies and procedures which ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including considering reasonable adjustments for people who have disabilities.