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Ambulance technician
Hours
37.5 per week
Starting salary
£18,000 + per Year
Working as an ambulance technician, you would respond to accident and emergency calls, and also a range of planned and unplanned non-emergency cases. You would usually work in a team, providing support to a paramedic. You may use life-saving skills as part of your day-to-day work.
To do this job you need to have a genuine desire to help and care for others. You need to be able to drive under emergency conditions. You will also need to remain calm under pressure.
WorkDesc
The work
As an ambulance technician (or emergency medical technician), you would respond to accident and emergency calls, as well as a range of planned and unplanned non-emergency cases. You would usually work in a team, providing support to a paramedic during the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients at the scene of an incident and during hospital transfers. You may use life-saving skills as part of your day-to-day work.
When on an emergency call, you may have little warning of the exact circumstances you are about to face. Situations could range from helping someone back into bed after a fall, to a major traffic collision with several casualties.
Once at the scene of an accident or emergency, your duties would include:
- assessing the patients’ needs and taking a basic personal and medical history
- carrying out a risk assessment, identifying life and non-life threatening conditions
- interpreting observations (weight, breathlessness, fatigue, oedema/fluid retention).
You would also decide which type of pre-hospital emergency care was most suitable and carry out certain treatments, for example:
- managing airways and supporting breathing
- controlling bleeding whilst maintaining circulation with cardio pulmonary resuscitation
- using semi-automatic defibrillators to steady irregular heart beats
- applying special splints and dressing wounds.
Your duties would also include making routine checks on your vehicle and cleaning, storing and checking ambulance equipment. Throughout the working day you would keep in regular contact with the emergency dispatch centre (also known as command and control).
Major workforce review
Following a major review, it is no longer possible to enter the ambulance service as a trainee ambulance technician. Many ambulance services are phasing out this role altogether, and others are only recruiting qualified and experienced technicians.
HoursDesc
Hours
Typical full-time hours are 37.5 a week, including nights, weekends and bank holidays. Part-time hours may also be available.
You would spend much of your time out on the road. When transferring patients, your work may involve heavy lifting, bending and carrying.
You would wear a uniform, including a bright jacket, protective boots and, in some services, a stab-proof vest.
You could face some difficult situations, including emotionally distressed clients and verbal aggression from people under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
IncomeDesc
Income
Ambulance technicians can earn between around £18,100 and £22,000 a year.
Extra allowances (known as salary uplifts) may be paid to workers in certain geographical areas, and to those expected to be on standby, or work unsocial hours or rotational shifts.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
Following a major workforce review, it is no longer possible to enter the ambulance service as a trainee ambulance technician. Many ambulance services are phasing out this role altogether, and others are only recruiting qualified, experienced and practising technicians.
For existing technicians, there will be a period of transition. Available opportunities are likely to include:
- pursuing work as an ambulance technician with ambulance services which are continuing to recruit qualified technicians
- transferring into the role of an Emergency Care Assistant (ECA).
- progressing to Paramedic, for example by applying for a student paramedic post.
Please see the Emergency Care Assistant and Ambulance Paramedic job profiles for more information.
For further advice, you can check with local ambulance services (see the NHS Choices website for a list of local ambulance trusts), and NHS Careers.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
As a qualified technician you would be expected to attend regular training sessions to help keep your skills up to date. You would also be reassessed periodically.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
As an ambulance technician, you would have:
- a genuine desire to help and care for others
- good spoken and written communication skills
- good listening skills
- the ability to pay attention to detail
- the ability to use computerised communication systems
- the ability to manage and respond to a changing workload
- good teamworking skills
- the ability to drive under emergency conditions
- good decision making skills
- the ability to remain calm under pressure
- an understanding of patient confidentiality
- an awareness of equality and diversity in the workplace and surrounding community.
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
College of Paramedics
The Exchange
Express Park
Bristol Road
Bridgewater
TA6 4RR
Tel: 01278 420 014
www.collegeofparamedics.co.uk
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You could find opportunities for secondment or promotion in the ambulance control room, in a training role or in human resources.
Traditionally, staff joining the ambulance service could work their way up with experience and additional training from care assistant, through ambulance technician to paramedic. However, this route is no longer open to new entrants.
Anyone wishing to work as a paramedic will now need to either secure a student paramedic position with an ambulance service trust, or attend an approved full-time course in paramedic science at a university.
There remain, however, some services that are continuing to recruit qualified and experienced technicians. You may find the following useful for technician and paramedic vacancies (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.
LMIData
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]
Career paths
Further sources
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