Ambulance care assistant
Ambulance care assistants take patients to and from hospitals and medical centres for appointments and treatment.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As an ambulance care assistant, you could:
- transfer patients to and from appointments
- lift and help patients in and out of the vehicle
- make sure patients are safe and secure during journeys
- settle patients back at home after their appointment
- keep in touch with the ambulance control room, using a radio
- carry out basic vehicle checks, and maintain medical supplies and equipment
- keep accurate records of journeys
Working environment
You could work on an ambulance.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could:
- become a team leader or supervisor
- train to be an emergency care assistant
- apply to be a student paramedic
- move into personnel, training, health and safety, or control room work
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- sensitivity and understanding
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- customer service skills
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- excellent verbal communication skills
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- have a full driving licence
- pass enhanced background checks
- have a good level of fitness
You may need a Category C1 licence or C1 provisional to drive an ambulance, depending on when you passed your original driving test. Check with the service you're applying to for details.
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
You could take a college course to learn some of the knowledge and skills required to be an ambulance care assistant.
Courses include:
- health and social care
- T Level in Health
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
More Information
You could apply to do an Ambulance Support Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, with an ambulance service.
This can take between 12 and 18 months to complete and combines on-the-job training and study with a learning provider.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More Information
You might find it useful to get some health or social care experience before applying for a job.
For example, you could volunteer with:
- the NHS
- the British Red Cross
- St John Ambulance
You can apply directly for jobs.
You'll need:
- driving experience
- knowledge of the local area and ability to use a vehicle navigation system
- experience of working with elderly, sick or vulnerable people
Some ambulance services may ask for 3 or 4 GCSEs, including English and maths at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent qualifications.
Career tips
You can search for vacancies on NHS Jobs, or contact your nearest ambulance service trust.
Further information
You can learn more about becoming an ambulance care assistant from Health Careers.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.