Paramedic
Paramedics respond to emergency call-outs and give people life-saving medical help.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As an ambulance paramedic, you could:
- respond to emergency calls
- assess situations when you arrive and check details with others at the scene, like the police
- work calmly and quickly to stabilise patients
- use a defibrillator to revive patients
- give patients medicines and injections
- help to deliver babies
- attend non-emergency calls and decide whether patients need to go to hospital
- check equipment regularly and keep accurate records
- reassure family and members of the public who are on the scene
Working environment
You could work on an ambulance, at a client's home or in the community.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and outdoors some of the time.
You may need to wear protective clothing and a uniform.
Career path and progression
With at least 2 years' experience and extra training, you could become:
- a team leader
- a specialist paramedic
- an emergency care practitioner
You could also move into operations management, education and training, or train to work in other areas of healthcare, for example nursing.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- knowledge of healthcare and medicine
- sensitivity and understanding
- customer service skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- excellent verbal communication skills
- knowledge of public safety and security
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to work well with others
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks as you may work with children and vulnerable adults
- pass a medical check
Many ambulance services will expect you to have a full driving licence by the time you finish your training and preferably a C1 driving licence that allows you to drive medium-sized vehicles.
How to become
You can get into this work through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- a trainee scheme
You'll need to do a paramedic science degree approved by the Health and Care Professions Council.
Full-time courses usually take 3 years.
You may be able to get extra student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including a science, for a degree
More Information
You could apply to do a Paramedic Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
This takes 3 years to complete and is a mix of on-the-job training and classroom learning.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
More Information
You could start as an ambulance care assistant or an emergency medical technician, also known as an associate ambulance practitioner (AAP).
With experience you could apply for a place on a paramedic training scheme. You would need to check the application and entry requirements with individual ambulance service trusts.
Entry to paramedic courses is very competitive and it may help you if you have some relevant experience or training. You could:
- volunteer as a first responder with a charity or social enterprise, like St John Ambulance
- volunteer with an NHS ambulance trust
- work at a residential care home or day care centre
- get a first aid certificate
- work in an office-based job for an ambulance service
You can find more information on how to get relevant healthcare work experience from Health Careers
You could apply for a training scheme as a student paramedic with an ambulance service. You would study for a university paramedic qualification while working at the same time.
Registration
- you'll need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council
Career tips
When applying for degree courses or apprenticeships, you'll be expected to show an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.
Professional and industry bodies
You can join the College of Paramedics and get access to courses, conferences and workshops to keep your skills up to date. You can also swap ideas with colleagues in the profession.
Further information
You can find out more about becoming a paramedic from the College of Paramedics and Health Careers.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.