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Experienced paramedic

Once you have been working as a registered paramedic for two years, you can progress to roles that allow you to carry out more treatments, specialise in specific areas and take on more responsibility.

Working life

Once you have two years' experience as a registered paramedic, you can progress to be a: 

  • Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) paramedic
  • specialist paramedic, for example in mental health
  • advanced paramedic, for example in critical care
  • consultant paramedic

Female-senior-paramedic-with-air-ambulance-crew

Paramedics in these roles have the necessary experience and training to make decisions and treat patients at the emergency scene. As a result, the patient may not need to go to hospital and experienced paramedics can treat people at home.

You'll need: 
  • excellent communication skills
  • excellent interpersonal skills
  • to be able to work accurately, safely and quickly under pressure
  • good driving skills

As an experienced paramedic, you may, for example:

Patients may not need to go to hospital and experienced paramedics can treat people at home.

  • carry out tests (such as urine tests) and interpret the results
  • undertake basic procedures in the home
  • refer patients to social care services
  • directly admit patients to specialist units
  • prescribe and administer medication

You’ll do shift work, including evenings and weekends, and also on-call work. As part of a team, working with other healthcare professionals, you’ll have your own area of responsibility and be able to provide care independently.

Working from a response car, GP surgery or urgent care centre, you will assess patients with symptoms and conditions such as suspected fractures or chest pain. You might also see patients in nursing or residential homes, schools or prisons. You will take a patient’s medical history, examine them and order tests and scans where necessary.

There are also opportunities for experienced paramedics with extended qualifications to move into executive director posts, research and teaching roles.

Personal characteristics 

Experienced paramedics need to be: 

  • able to understand a situation quickly
  • calm in stressful situations
  • confident and reassuring
  • resilient in dealing with one’s own, and other people’s strong emotions
  • able to follow procedures
  • able to work quickly and accurately
  • able to work alone or in a team
  • willing to educate and train new ambulance service staff

Training and development

Training will include continual professional development (CPD) through a mix of self-directed and mandatory skill refresher courses. 

You may also be expected to undergo Paramedic Practice Educator (PPEd) training so you can mentor the next generation of paramedics, technicians and emergency care assistants. And you can undertake specialist training so you can prescribe a range of medication, for example if you are based in a GP surgery or A&E department. 

You may have to gain further qualifications to progress too, depending on which qualifications you currently hold and which type of experienced paramedic you are.

  • Pay and conditions

    Most jobs in the NHS are covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales [1] and experienced paramedics usually start at band 6. This pay system covers all staff except doctors, dentists and the most senior managers. Although experienced paramedics work standard hours of around 37.5 a week, these are often on a shift pattern. Shifts can cover 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year, so a paramedic’s work pattern will usually include evenings, nights, early starts, weekends and bank holidays. Terms and conditions can vary for employers outside of the NHS.

    Paramedics need to be prepared to work outdoors in all conditions, where necessary.

  • Where the role can lead

    As you gain even more experience, you could become a team leader, supervising the work of paramedics and emergency care assistants. You could become a manager, responsible for several teams. In some ambulance trusts you could progress to consultant paramedic, advising on and developing the clinical practice in that service.

    Teaching or research are other options. Some experienced paramedics choose to join a specialist team such as caring for stroke [2] patients, work on an air ambulance or in a GP surgery or A&E department where you will be trained to prescribe a range of medications.

  • Job market and vacancies

    If you're applying for a role either directly in the NHS or in an organisation that provides NHS services, you'll be asked to show how you think the values of the NHS Constitution [3] apply in your everyday work. The same will be true if you are applying for a university course funded by the NHS. Find out more about NHS values [4].

    Most NHS organisations advertise their job and apprenticeship vacancies on NHS Jobs [5]. Here are some of the current vacancies. 

    • View Vacancy [6]

      Specialist Nurse/Paramedic

      Hemel One, London, HP2 7YU

      • Salary:

        £32,933 - £39,681 PA inc. HCAS

      • Type:

        Permanent

      • Employer:

        Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust

      • View Vacancy
    • View Vacancy [7]

      Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Clinical Practitioner/Paramedic

      Ilkeston, DE7 8ES

      • Salary:

        Depending on experience

      • Type:

        Permanent

      • Employer:

        Central Advertising - General Practitioners

      • View Vacancy
    • View Vacancy [8]

      Advanced Practitioner (Nurse/Paramedic/Pharmacist)

      Leicester, LE19 1SX

      • Salary:

        £54.965.00 Pro Rata +unsociable hours enhancements

      • Type:

        Permanent

      • Employer:

        DHU Health Care CIC

      • View Vacancy
    • View Vacancy [9]

      Advanced Practitioner (Nurse/ Paramedic/ Pharmacist)- Urgent Treatmen

      Loughborough Urgent Care Centre, Loughborough, DE24 8PU

      • Salary:

        £54.965.00 Pro Rata +unsociable hours enhancements

      • Type:

        Permanent

      • Employer:

        DHU Health Care CIC

      • View Vacancy
    • View Vacancy [10]

      Advanced Paramedic Practitioner

      Tamworth, B79 7DJ

      • Salary:

        Depending on experience

      • Type:

        Permanent

      • Employer:

        Central Advertising - General Practitioners

      • View Vacancy
    • View Vacancy [11]

      Advanced Paramedic Practitioner

      Uckfield, TN22 5AW

      • Salary:

        Depending on experience

      • Type:

        Permanent

      • Employer:

        Central Advertising - General Practitioners

      • View Vacancy
  • Further information
    • College of Paramedics [12]
    • HCPC Health and Care Professions Council [13]
    • Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel [14]

Other roles that may interest you

  • Call handler/emergency medical dispatcher [15]
  • Emergency care assistant [16]
  • Paramedic [17]
  • Patient Transport Service (PTS) call handler [18]

Source URL: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/ambulance-service-team/roles-ambulance-service/experienced-paramedic

Links
[1] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/about/careers-nhs/nhs-pay-and-benefits/agenda-change-pay-rates
[2] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/glossary#Stroke
[3] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/glossary#NHS_Constitution
[4] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/about/working-health/nhs-constitution
[5] https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/
[6] https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/916394628
[7] https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/916363357
[8] https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/916380393
[9] https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/916399713
[10] https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/916395090
[11] https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/916386658
[12] http://www.collegeofparamedics.co.uk
[13] http://www.hcpc-uk.org.uk
[14] http://www.apap.org.uk
[15] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/ambulance-service-team/roles-ambulance-service/emergency-medical-dispatchercall-handler
[16] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/ambulance-service-team/roles-ambulance-service/emergency-care-assistant
[17] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/allied-health-professionals/roles-allied-health-professions/paramedic
[18] https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/ambulance-service-team/roles-ambulance-service/patient-transport-service-pts-call-handler