Compare roles in health

Drivers in the NHS have to have the correct driving licence for the vehicle they drive. Most employers expect you have a driving licence when you apply. NHS and ambulance service trusts use vehicles of different sizes, so check carefully which classifications you need on your licence. Employers expect good levels of numeracy and literacy and may ask for GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and maths. They may also ask for relevant driving or customer service experience (eg from paid or voluntary work). When you join the NHS you will get the training you need. This may depend on the type of driving you are doing and may include health and safety, lifting and handling and customer care. You may be expected to go on short courses on particular topics such as handling hazardous waste and may be encouraged to take further qualifications such as training to drive other vehicles.

Drivers working for the NHS may be volunteers, and paid an allowance for using their vehicle. Drivers directly employed by the NHS will be paid on the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system. The salary will depend on your precise role - check vacancies individually for details. For example, as a PTS driver, you would be on AfC band 2 or 3. A driver for the Blood Transfusion Service would typically be on AfC band 3. Drivers in the NHS work standard hours of around 37.5 a week. Some may work shifts including early starts and evenings.

NHS drivers need to be safe and careful drivers, physically fit for getting in and out of vehicles and loading and unloading, able to navigate around an area using sat nav or maps, able to keep to a schedule and willing to work unsupervised. They also need driving skills, good customer service skills, especially when dealing with patients, communication and organisation skills.

You could progress to become a team leader or supervisor. You would be in charge of a team of drivers, responsible for allocating work and drawing up transport schedules. Drivers can also progress by training to drive other vehicles. Drivers could apply to train for other roles such as an emergency care assistant or patient transport service (PTS) call handler.

To apply to train as an assistant practitioner, you have to be working in the NHS, often in a clinical support role such as healthcare assistant, dietetic assistant, maternity support worker, etc. As well as healthcare experience, trainee assistant practitioners have a relevant healthcare qualification at level 3, such as a BTEC, CACHE or Access to HE course. You'll be given the training you need for the job, including an introduction to the department and its procedures. You'll usually be expected to study part time for a foundation degree in health or social care and to keep your skills and knowledge up to date with regular training.

Clinical support staff working in the NHS are paid on the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system. As an assistant practitioner, you would usually be on AfC band 4. There are sometimes opportunities for trainee assistant practitioners at AfC band 3. You'll usually work standard hours of around 37.5 a week and may work shifts, which could involve nights, early starts, evenings and weekends. Terms and conditions will usually be different for clinical support staff working outside of the NHS.

As an assistant practitioner, you'll need to be caring and kind, physically strong for lifting and patients and equipment, willing to be hands-on with patients, able to follow instructions and procedures, able to work in a team but use their own initiative, able to explain procedures to patients, careful and methodical. You'll also need good communication skills, including listening, good organisational and observational skills.

With experience and training you could become a senior assistant practitioner, supervising the work of other clinical support staff. With experience, and as long as you can demonstrate that you have the academic ability to study at degree level, you could apply to train as a healthcare professional such as a nurse, dietitian, physiotherapist, podiatrist, healthcare science practitioner, etc.