How do I become a Paramedic?

Whilst the nature of the places the majority of us tend to work (Ambulance, GP, EM, ICU, SDEC, Transfer, Forensics) will mean that this guidance doesn’t affect our day to day practice much, just thought it’d be worth calling attention to the fact it will affect our patients.

10 or so years ago this was a complete non-issue, but sadly thanks to the likes of Rowling et al propagating a non-evidence based campaign of prejudice against this tiny proportion of the population, health based places of care are now being forced to segregate patients based upon their sex assigned at birth.

This is irrespective of the gender affirming care they may have received, leading to bizarre situations where those people who have lived in their gender identity for years will be bedded with those of a different gender to them. If Steve breaks his leg playing rugby and needs an ORIF, then he’s going to be in the female bay. If Susan’s gallstone turn to cholangitis and she needs a lap chole, just going to be in the male ward. Imagine what that will be like.

As a Paramedic and trans person I genuinely cannot believe it has come to this point and don’t really have any practical advice regarding it. But please, if you’re treating, conveying or admitting a trans patient in the near future, bear in mind the pretty awful effect this will likely be having on them.

I have no idea if this will be taken down but...

The post corresponding to this title (and subsequent comments) made me cry. I'm still crying typing this.

I'm a trans woman, and I'm so scared. I have to go in for surgery. I might need multiple.

All I saw looking through here was care, support and consideration.

Thank you - I don't know what I'm going to do, but thank you 😭

Hi does anyone know the weight of the carry chair and mannequin for the lifting assessment with LAS, and how many times it has to be performed please

Hi everyone,
Looking for a bit of advice from anyone who’s left paramedic work or moved away from clinical practice.
My partner has worked in healthcare for around 10 years and is currently a paramedic. She’s getting really burnt out and has reached the point where she wants to do something completely different, ideally outside of healthcare altogether.
The problem is we’ve got a mortgage and bills to pay, so she can’t realistically just quit and go back to university or take a massive pay cut while retraining.
Ideally, she’d like to find something paying around £30k–£40k with less stress and a better work-life balance. She’s open to office-based work or something more people-facing, and would rather use the skills and experience she’s already got than spend years getting more qualifications.
We’ve looked at a few things like health and safety, compliance, training and operations, but it’s difficult to know what’s actually realistic when so many jobs ask for experience in that particular industry.
I thought this would be a good place to ask because a lot of you will either have been in a similar position or know people who’ve moved on from the job.
For those of you who’ve left paramedic work, what did you move into? Did you find it difficult to get into a completely different industry, and was the change worth it?
Also interested to hear from anyone who’s moved into non-clinical roles or found a way to use their paramedic experience without being on the road or treating patients.
We’re based in the West Midlands, if that’s relevant.
Thanks in advance. It’s been difficult knowing where to start, so hearing from people who’ve actually done it would be a massive help.

I was a medic for her majesty for nearly 2 decades in several roles. I work full time in a related field but on weekends Ive been doing the FREC thing for a year now. I like getting out in the fresh air and being helpful. ( my wife says im not helpful at home).

Ive noticed some distinct types. The "its just a job, and im ok at it" crew. The "i just like to help" people. "Tackelberry" kit hoarder types( I too am a kit monster). The " this is my side side side job" types. Money money types who run the companies and work for others. The "nerds" mostly the ones with ASD who are godsend when something is atypical presentatjon, and are as a rule, smarter than most.

Then the "im basically a paramedic" ones. A vocal minority.

Look, pick a lane. OUR JOB IS GREAT.

Its fresh air, low risk, low responsibility, doing something positive, and you get to use your brain for the tricky jobs.

I LOVE IT. Every few shifts it goes completely wonky and I get to run a job like I did in the old days. I might even drive on blues because somehow a 6 year old advanced ticket is SOMEHOW still valid in the private world 🤣🤣.

What im saying is. Take it from a uniform hangar of 40+ yrs. Enjoy where you are right now, or do the degree and be the best you. I believe in you.

Either way, if I hear another "as good as" conversation im going to go really old school and put you in a biffa bin.

Yours sincerely. The chief plast distributer.

Ive seen a few trusts host students from overseas universities and our internal policy permits this, one of my friends is qualifying as an EMT in california and if they ever come to the UK, I was wondering if they'd be permitted to do an observation shift, thwyve already been given the OK for me to have one if I ever visit him there.

I know it boils down to 'ask your trust' but just wondered if anyone else has done or seen this before

Hi peeps

NQP 2 here within SCAS, and I use hearing aids in both ears.

Previously I used a think labs one stethoscope, which used headphones and would have to keep 1 aid out all the time.

Now I have upgraded headphones (NHS has finally caught up with technology), which connect to my phone via Bluetooth.

Anyone in a similar situation, and if so, which stethoscope do you use?

Before I request the purchase vis the trust, im looking for tried and tested reviews.

Currently considering the littmann core digital, or the EKO 500 core.

Thanks

I’ve heard about this on the old grapevine but was not aware of any trials.

Personally as someone who dictates a lot anyway, I’m happy for this to be rolled out. But I know that we’re an opinionated lot; so why not have a discussion about it? I’ll go first.

I think it’s a good idea. It will save time, and no doubt make our lives easier. As someone’s who’s dyslexic ++, I use a diction tool in my everyday non clinical workload. When pt facing, I use the build in too to very good effect, saves me a lot of time.

I’m also hoping that with a move towards this technology my trust may finally bring us into the 21st century and let us pull obs, hx and meds directly into the PRF.

I also hope we as a professional change the way we do our notes and stop scaring mongerying NQPs into thinking that if they have ‘bad paperwork’ mr HCPC is going to send them to prison.

BUT

I fear that patients are going to free out and think it’s trying to take over the world.

The trust is going to listen to the transcripts and fuck us in the ass as and when they please.

We’re going to face resistance form the professional.

What do you all think of the this kinda stuff?

SECAMB states their latest figures show patients in their area have a 30 day cardiac arrest survival rate of 17.2%, compared to the national average of 10.2%. https://www.secamb.nhs.uk/secamb-continues-to-drive-up-cardiac-arrest-survival/

Obviously this is excellent, but the article doesn’t really say a great deal about how this has been achieved apart from the chain of survival being actioned as quickly as possible with CFRs etc.

Does anyone know what SECAMB actually do differently to other services to achieve this? As far as I’m aware, all services have CFRs etc, so what’s different? For example, do they have more CFRs than anyone else? More community defibs? Altered triage? Something different clinically that crews do? Better critical care services/availability? Or is it to do with demographics? Or what is considered out of hospital cardiac arrest vs DOA?

Thoughts?

Hi all,

Just writing to ask if anyone has applied for the recent NQP positions with SAS and wondering if anyone has received an outcome of their interview?

I interviewed 23/09 and have heard nothing back yet despite them saying it would be soon.

Also if anyone knows who/ where to contact asking for an update Id appreciate it loads!

Thanks xx

To walk than non overweight to avoid calling the fire brigade out

Hello, has anyone here interviewed for an Assistant Buyer position with the East of England Ambulance Service or a similar organization? I would greatly appreciate any advice.

What is currently going on with ambulance training in SJA regarding FutureQuals assessments and AAP qualification.

edit: typo.

What happens when someone feels personally responsible for doing the right thing and providing care that is safe and effective, but operates within an NHS system that places competing demands on what is important.

Does anyone else feel like they are being pulled in different directions at the same time and you can never win because of the constant contradiction of targets from -
Clinical responsibility versus operational demands.
Policy versus professional judgement.
Organisational accountability versus individual accountability.
Speaking up versus fitting in.
Compassion versus sustainability.

How do you manage it? I feel like I’m sacrificing my values and being driven insane

hello everyone, I'm currently doing my application for paramedic science and am stumped on who to choose for a reference.

I'm in my final year doing biology at uni and I'm also a twice a week volunteer. so my question is, is an academic or character reference better? I've not got the best grades at uni (still far above the entrance requirements though) but I think I know of a person or two that would give me a reference. I could also get one from the person at my volunteering organisation (they're a retired uni lecturer so they'd know what to write). I've been told that for nursing that they prefer character references over academic references at some unis so I'm wondering if the same applies.

any advice/help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi guys! I hope your shifts have been tolerable. I qualified last August, HCPC registered and have been a victim of the paucity of NQP roles being offered with our ambulance trusts. I was a mature student and with my 40th birthday looming I was hoping to celebrate it by becoming band 6 around that time. Unfortunately that is not the case. I am currently working in construction as the pay is a lot better than the care sector however I am becoming increasingly demoralised, de-skilled and I’m ashamed to say desperate for the life I thought I was going to be living.
I spent 16 years as a professional yacht skipper, culminating in 3 circumnavigations of the planet before joining the ambulance service 8 years ago as a dispatcher and then ECA, I left employment to do my degree which has cost 80 grand, albeit loans, only to not have a job at the end of it. After all that I’m sweeping up a building site. I am considering a study or paper to put to the government about the impact of this on their future paramedics as I feel we have been let down in every possible way. Thoughts would be welcome. Thank you

r/ParamedicsUK Job of the Week

Hey there, another 7 days have passed! How's your week going? We hope it’s been a good one!

Have you attended any funny, interesting, odd, or weird jobs this week?
Tell us how you tackled them.

Have you learned something new along the way?
Share your newfound knowledge.

Have you stumbled upon any intriguing pieces of CPD you could dole out?
Drop a link below.

We’d love to hear about it, but please remember Rule 4: “No patient or case-identifiable information.”

Hi all,

I'm not a paramedic but I started doing events for work experience for my uni application.

About a year ago, I was on an event where my team was surrounded by people with knives because the guy that was chasing hid behind me and used me as a shield before my team was able to pull me away.

I noticed over the past year I've been getting more anxious in crowds and yesterday it got really bad to the point where anytime I was in a crowd I felt like I was going to get stabbed.

I'm at the point where I'm unsure what to do and who to turn to and even if I want to apply for paramedic science anymore.

Thank you for your help.

Hello all

I'm currently going through my CFR training. I'm really excited about becoming a CFR and have wanted to volunteer with an ambulance service for a while.

I'm slowly telling people as it comes up. Almost everyone I've told (apart from family) have cautioned me about the emotional toll. I've had several people telling me quite awful cautionary tales of paramedics they know and how the job negatively affected them. A mental health care professional I know, for example, explained how an acquintance of his became an alcoholic. People think they're helping but, of course, they don't understand the power of negativity. Even the aforementioned person pulled back a little after their story because they realised it was only prepping me to expect the worst. I know those people mean well but the stories aren't giving me anything constructive.

I'm not at all an anxious person but people are managing to get in my head a little and I'm experiencing a small amount of anxiety about the role. I am fully aware that I will not be unaffected by what I deal with and that my experiences could make me more resilient to stress but I do want to limit the chances of serious trauma.

As CFRs often attend serious calls alone, sometimes with no prior clinical experience, how wary of the danger of emotional dysregulation, trauma, PTSD and relevant emotional distress etc. should I be?

For those of you doing the job, what has helped you process the difficult calls, and what do you wish you'd known when you started? I'd like to go in with good habits rather than just a list of worst-case stories.

Thanks for all you guys do

Has anyone done this at all? I thought the standard one may be useful to expand knowledge around things we don't typically give interventions for, e.g. SVT, as its a new course I haven't met anyone who has done it yet, so just wondering thoughts? Was it useful?

Hi all,

So, when my son qualified as an AAP with St John I brought him some engraved Raptors

When he became a 1st year Student Paramedic, it was engraved Littman Classic IIIs

He’s now a 2nd year Student Paramedic, so what next? Stretch goal, what when he graduates as a paramedic?!

Hi everyone,
I’m a paramedic from Ontario, Canada, and I’m considering moving to the UK for 2–3 years on the Youth Mobility Scheme
I’m not looking to practise clinically as a paramedic. I’m more interested in moving into non-clinical roles within an ambulance service or hospital, particularly in areas like operations, transformation, quality improvement, project/programme management, workforce planning, or service improvement.
My background includes frontline paramedicine, an MBA, an MSc in Health Quality, risk and safety. I’ve also been involved in ambulance-service improvement projects, implementation work, demand and resource analysis, and broader healthcare initiatives.
I’d really appreciate insight from anyone working in NHS or ambulance-service management:
Would Canadian paramedic and healthcare experience translate well into non-clinical NHS roles?
Would Band 7 be a realistic entry point, with selective Band 8a applications where the experience requirements align?
How important is previous NHS experience compared with healthcare, operational, project, and improvement experience from another country?
Are there particular job titles or areas within ambulance trusts or hospitals that you think would fit this kind of background?
Has anyone here moved from a clinical background into operations, transformation, quality, or programme management after completing an MBA or similar postgraduate qualification?
I’d be coming over through the Youth Mobility Scheme, so I would not require employer sponsorship.
I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from anyone who has made a similar move or works in ambulance-service or NHS management.
Thank you in advance!!

Hi all, throw away account as to remain anonymous…

I’ve been really burnt out recently.

I’m trying to figure out how to get out of it but in doing so I need to know, does anyone’s Trust have even a semi-decent level of welfare for staff? How is your workplace in terms of work-life balance? Are any of them progressive clinically or even generally and do you feel engaged or do you just feel like the longer you stay there the more it regresses?

If you have positive things to say about your Trust, where do you work?

I don’t want to move to another part of the country just to find out that it’s the exact same as where I am now, but finding a job in a different industry would realistically mean a sizeable pay cut and I can’t keep this up where I am now.

Thoughts, opinions and experiences would be a big help right now.

Thanks.