Paramedics James Quinn and Joanne Andrews.

Paramedic

Answers supplied by Marcus Bailey, acting clinical education and training manager for the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust. The trust covers 5,500sq miles over Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. It provides emergency and unscheduled care that is delivered by paramedics, technicians, emergency carers and nurse practitioners. This care is supported by a state-of-the-art emergency control centre and
a strong partnership with the University of
East Anglia.

What does the job entail?
The role of a paramedic is varied and challenging. Paramedics participate in care delivery through working shifts covering 24 hours. You would be responsible for assessing and formulating treatment plans for patients and providing interventions including the use of drug therapy. The work that you would experience covers all ages and all patients. Common calls include road accidents, falls, chest pains and shortness of breath. In order to be able to carry out this role, a strong educational background is required.

What skills and qualifications are needed?
A new diploma course at the UEA has been designed to allow people to register as a paramedic upon completion. This is a two-year programme that combines theory and practice to cover a range of subjects such as anatomy, disease and illness, healthcare law and ethics and emergency driving. As students you would benefit from the joint experience of health practice from the UEA and East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust.
You will need 5 GCSEs, one of which must be maths, science or English or equivalent. You also need to hold a driving licence with category C1. You will also need to undertake a fitness test.

What type of person will fit in?
The work and training programme requires flexibility. You need a good sense of humour and need to be well motivated and prepared for self study. You will be working as part of a team and your work may reflect on them, so you need to support each other to operate in a professional manner. The role would suit mature applicants.

What are the pluses and minuses of the job?
The job is varied and the role is developing to integrate further with primary care. There is good job security and although shift work is not always popular, the NHS Agenda for Change makes an allowance for staff who undertake it. The days are long and can be stressful, but the support mechanisms and satisfaction are one of the best you could ever experience.

What opportunities exist for career progression?
Developments for paramedics are gathering pace. As a paramedic you can have the opportunity to work on ambulances, response cars or as a community paramedic. There are options to work on the air ambulance or within the training arena. Paramedics are also working within our emergency control centre providing valuable knowledge and experience. Educational opportunities mean that you can specialise as an emergency care practitioner or critical care.

What can I expect to earn?
Wages once employed start from £16,000, plus shift allowance on starting. If you undertake further development this can rise up to £36,000. For senior managers and clinicians this can be even more.

Any hints on getting a job in this area?
To find out more about the trust you can look at the website www.eastanglianambulance.com. For the new diploma you can contact Matthew Gooch at the School of Nursing at the UEA by e-mailing matthew.gooch@uea.ac.uk. When applying, your application should include a supporting statement drawing on your experiences of dealing with people and understanding of the paramedic profession. The UEA and East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust will be holding an open day on Saturday, October 8, between 10am and midday at Hellesdon Hospital, Norwich.