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Ambulance care assistant
Hours
37.5 per week
Starting salary
£13,600 + per year
Ambulance care assistants transfer non-emergency patients to and from health or social care settings, including hospitals, for pre-arranged appointments. They are sometimes known as Patient Transport Service drivers.
To be an ambulance care assistant, you should have a warm and caring personality. You will need good driving skills. You will also need to be able to reassure anxious or worried patients.
To work as an ambulance care assistant, you will need a full manual driving licence. A good understand of the Highway Code is important. So too is the ability to read maps.
WorkDesc
The work
Your duties as an Ambulance Care assistant (ACA) would include:
- helping patients out of their home and into the ambulance (which may involve some lifting)
- transporting patients safely, comfortably and in good time to their appointments
- taking the patient home and making sure they are settled in before leaving
- carrying out routine care of ambulance equipment and daily vehicle checks
- keeping accurate records of journeys.
The people you would transport may be in very poor health. An important part of your work would be to show kindness and respect to often worried patients and their relatives, who may include:
- older people
- individuals who are physically disabled
- people with mental health problems.
In some ambulance services, you could be trained to work in a high dependency team, transporting patients with specific clinical needs on a regular basis. During a shift you would keep in contact by radio or telephone with support staff at the control room who would give you clinical advice if an emergency took place.
HoursDesc
Hours
You would usually work a 37.5 hour week, which may include some weekends, evenings and bank holidays. Part-time posts are also available.
This work is quite physically demanding; you would spend a lot of time driving, covering a particular geographical area. Occasionally you may deal with distressing situations or circumstances with seriously ill patients.
You would wear a uniform and, at times, additional protective clothing such as a bright reflective coat and boots. You may work alone or in a two-person team, in an adapted ambulance or a standard car.
IncomeDesc
Income
ACAs can earn between £13,600 and £16,750 a year. With experience this can rise to around £18,500. Extra allowances (known as salary uplifts) may be paid to workers in certain geographical areas and to those expected to work unsocial hours.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
Each regional ambulance service can set its own entry criteria (and induction training programme), and it is important to check the details with the ambulance service you wish to join. In general, to work as an ambulance care assistant, you will need:
- excellent driving skills, with between one and two years' driving experience
- a full manual driving licence – if you passed your test after summer 1996, you may need an extra driving qualification (some ambulance services may support you through this extra test, but this is not standard practice across the UK)
- a good understanding of the Highway Code
- the ability to read maps and knowledge of the area you will cover
- health clearance (as your work could include lifting and carrying).
You will also need basic maths and English skills. Some employers may prefer you to have about four GCSEs (A-C) including English, maths and a science, plus a current first aid certificate. Check with your local ambulance service, because alternative qualifications or experience in a direct care-related role might also be accepted.
You can find links to local ambulance services on the NHS Choices website.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
As a trainee ACA, you will receive between two and four weeks' training in areas such as:
- advanced (safe) driving skills
- moving and handling techniques
- first aid – including basic emergency accident management
- (in some services) administering oxygen therapy
- resuscitation.
You will be tested throughout your training and you will take written and practical examinations.
If you reach the standard set by the service, you will be attached to an ambulance station where you will work under the guidance of a trained mentor for a probationary period. After this time, you will be allowed to work unsupervised.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To be an ambulance care assistant, you should have:
- a warm, outgoing and caring personality
- empathy, with the ability to reassure anxious or worried patients
- good spoken and written communication skills
- confidence, with the ability to work with a range of people across all levels
- a genuine desire to help and care for people
- good driving skills
- a strong sense of responsibility and a serious attitude to work
- good time keeping and organisational skills
- the ability to work in a team
- physical and emotional stamina
- the ability to work under pressure
- an understanding of issues surrounding confidentiality.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
NHS Careers 
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
Health Learning and Skills Advice Line
Tel: 08000 150850
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You will find most job opportunities within the NHS, although you may be able to train and work in the private ambulance sector and with the armed forces.
Experience as an ACA has been the traditional route to other jobs in the service, but there is no guaranteed progression route. You will need to apply for vacancies alongside external candidates, but your experience is likely to give you an advantage when going for Emergency Care Assistant or Student Paramedic posts.
The ambulance service is no longer recruiting trainee ambulance technicians.
Please see the ambulance profile for more information.
You could also move into other departments within the ambulance service, such as personnel, training, health and safety, and operations management.
You may find the following useful for vacancies and general reading (links open in new window):
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
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