You'll need to do a paramedic science degree approved by the Health and Care Professions Council.
Full-time courses usually take 3 years.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
Paramedic
Alternative titles for this job include Ambulance paramedic
Paramedics respond to emergency call-outs and give people life-saving medical help.
Average salary (a year)
£24,907 Starter
to£37,890 Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
36 to 38 a week
You could work
evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts
How to become a paramedic
You can get into this work through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- apply for a trainee scheme
University
Apprenticeship
You can get into this role through a paramedic degree apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
More Information
Work
You could start as an ambulance care assistant. With experience, you could apply for a place on a paramedic training scheme.
Volunteering
Entry to paramedic courses is very competitive and it may help you if you have some relevant experience or training. Examples include:
- volunteering as a first responder with a charity or social enterprise, like St John Ambulance
- volunteering with an NHS ambulance service
- working at a residential care home or daycare centre
- a first aid certificate
- working in an office-based job for an ambulance service
Other Routes
You could apply for a training scheme as a student paramedic with an ambulance service. You would do your university paramedic qualification on the job.
More Information
Registration
- you'll need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council
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, and to 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.
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 be working 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.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
In this role you'll:
- 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 around 3 years' experience, you could become:
- a team leader
- a specialist paramedic
- an emergency care practitioner
You could also move into operations management, education and training or research, or train to work in other areas of healthcare, for example nursing.
Current opportunities
Apprenticeships In England
We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a paramedic right now.
The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.
Courses In England
Access to HE Health Professions
- Provider: BOURNEMOUTH AND POOLE COLLEGE, THE
- Start date: 07 September 2021
- Location: Poole
Access to Higher Education - Health Professions
- Provider: NORTHAMPTON COLLEGE
- Start date: 13 September 2021
- Location: NORTHAMPTON
Jobs In the United Kingdom
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