Ambulance care assistants or Patient Transport Service (PTS) drivers drive disabled, elderly, sick or vulnerable people to and from outpatient clinics, day care centres and routine hospital admissions.
There are no set entry requirements to become an ambulance care assistant and Patient Transport Service driver. Most employers expect good standards of literacy and numeracy. Some may ask for qualifications such as GCSEs, NVQs or equivalent. Employers look for relevant work experience. It would be an advantage if you have worked with elderly or disabled people, either in paid employment or voluntary work. To drive an ambulance, you need a full, manual driving licence.
Most jobs in the NHS are covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales and ambulance care assistants will usually start at bands 2 or 3. Ambulance care assistants in the NHS will usually work standard hours of 37.5 per week. Terms and conditions can vary for employers outside of the NHS.
An ambulance care assistant and Patient Transport Service driver needs a range of skills and characteristics, including patience, a careful driver, an interest in other people and their concerns, physically fit, good communication and driving skills.
You could progress to become a team leader or supervisor. You would be in charge of a team of assistants and drivers, responsible for allocating work and drawing up transport schedules.You could take further training to become an emergency care assistant. With more experience, you could apply to train as a paramedic. You would have to pass entrance exams and meet other requirements before being accepted onto a paramedic course.
Related roles
Dental technicians (or dental technologists as they are often referred to) make the dentures, crowns, bridges and dental braces that improve patients’ appearance, speech and ability to chew.
To work as a dental technician/dental technologist, you need to complete a General Dental Council- (GDC) approved course (diploma or degree level) and be registered with the GDC.
Dental technicians generally work standard NHS hours, which are likely to be around 37.5 a week. Your starting salary will be band 5 of the Agenda for Change pay rates.
Absolute precision and attention to detail is key for dental technicians. Much of your work will be by hand making dentures, crowns, bridges and braces and no two pieces will be the same because every patient is different. You will also work with specialised equipment in a laboratory.
Dental technicians can progress into management roles such as senior or chief technician posts, quality control, teaching or sales. With specific training, they can also become clinical dental technicians so they can create and modify dental appliances. Clinical dental technicians have direct contact with patients.