Ambulance pilot scheme offers paid work experience to Teessiders
The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) is offering six aspiring paramedics the opportunity to get paid work experience which could eventually lead to a paramedic job as part of a national pilot scheme.
The pre-paramedic pilot by Health Education England, in partnership with NEAS and Teesside University, aims to encourage people who want to become paramedics to take that first important career step.
As part of the scheme six people will be given the chance to get nine months fully-paid, hands-on patient focussed experience as an emergency care assistant (ECA) with NEAS in Teesside. Those taking part will then have the experience, skills and knowledge to apply for the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Practice Degree at Teesside University and eventually become a paramedic.
Neil Gatenby, recruitment business partner at NEAS, said: “There is a chronic national shortage of paramedics and this scheme is a fantastic way of opening up a new pathway to those who might not have considered this as a career before.
“The opportunity is open to everyone who holds a clean driving licence and has a level 3 qualification and we welcome applications from under-represented groups such as disabled applicants or those from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. We’re encouraging anyone interested to attend our information events at Teesside University on 5th and 6th September to find out more.”
To pre-register for the NEAS information event at Teesside University follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-east-ambulance-pre-paramedic-recruitment-event-tickets-27067661103?aff=eac2
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Notes to editors
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS) covers 3,200 square miles across the North East region. It employs more than 2,500 staff and serves a population of 2.7 million people by handling all NHS 111 and 999 calls for the region, operating patient transport and ambulance response services, delivering training for communities and commercial audiences and providing medical support cover at events.
In 2014/15 the service answered 1.107 million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls, responded to 302,687 incidents that resulted in a patient being taken to hospital, treated and discharged 18,144 patients with telephone advice and treated and discharged 81,990 patients at home. In the same year, emergency care crews reached 134,745 incidents within the national target of 8 minutes.