Emergency care assistant
Emergency care assistants support paramedics responding to accidents and emergencies.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As an emergency care assistant, you could:
- drive ambulance vehicles
- respond to medical emergencies and accidents
- support paramedics to carry out essential emergency care
- monitor patient health during ambulance journeys
- maintain radio contact with the control room
- complete a patient handover report at the hospital
- maintain stocks of medical supplies and equipment
Working environment
You could work on an ambulance or in an NHS or private hospital.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You may need to wear a uniform and protective clothing.
Career path and progression
You could become a team leader or supervisor, with responsibility for a team of emergency care assistants.
With experience, you could apply to train as a paramedic.
You might also train as a healthcare assistant or nursing associate. You could then go on to full nurse training, or work in other areas of healthcare.
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
- knowledge of public safety and security
- 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 ambulance 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 do a college course to give you some of the skills and knowledge you need to become an emergency care assistant.
Courses include:
- health and social care
- T Level in Health
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
More Information
You could apply to do an Ambulance Support Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship with an ambulance service.
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'll find it helpful 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 also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and Do IT.
You can apply directly to become an emergency care assistant. You'll usually need:
- driving experience
- experience in patient care, ideally in the NHS
- a first aid certificate
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 find out more about how to become an emergency 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.