Dear J Lowe

Thank you for your email dated 19th September 2014 where you requested information regarding the East of England Ambulance Service.

Your request will be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and we will respond to you within twenty working days. Your request has been allocated the following reference: F18539 and I would be grateful if you could quote this reference in any future correspondence with the Trust.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

FoI Officer
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust

show quoted sections

Dear J Lowe

Further to your email dated 19th September 2014, please find the Trust's response below.

a When these students complete their basic training are they at the level of what used to be described as a "trainee technician"?

The training the students receive is current and therefore we would say that this is more advanced than the basic ambulance aid programme. They will have completed an initial training programme in emergency care with associated knowledge and skills. The course has been enhanced to include further study both physical teaching, the building of a portfolio, completion of practice hours and e-learning from that of previous IHCD programmes.

b Did these trainees then have to wait another year before becoming a qualified technician?

The requirement is that they must complete the course programme which is around 12 months of study. This is 11 weeks theory, 3 weeks driving, assessments and a minimum of 750 practice hours with a qualified clinician. This is anticipated to take 12 months to complete.

c Are these new student paramedics currently able to perform any additional treatments above those of your already qualified technicians and if so, which ones?

This depends on the scope of practice of a technician as this does vary across the country. Using East of England they would have the same skill set but with a wider knowledge base as we are preparing and developing them to become paramedics, and that they will gain the technician competencies on the way. However, generally there are no more specific skills that they are able to perform over a technician at this stage in their development.

d Assuming all 400 of these new staff successfully complete their training, what is the earliest date you can say they will all be qualified as proper paramedics, particularly as you seem to be losing about 100 qualified paramedics a year as it is?

The planning takes into account 30 months. So for the April 2014 cohort their anticipated completion date is October 2016.

I am obliged to advise you that if you are dissatisfied with the Trust’s response to your request you have a right to complain to the Trust and should set out your concerns to the Freedom of Information Officer, EEAST, Hospital Approach, Broomfield, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 7WS or by email to [East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust request email]. If you remain dissatisfied following this, you have a right under Section 50 of the FOIA to seek a determination from the Information Commissioner on whether the Act has been properly applied by the Trust. For more information, please see www.ico.gov.uk.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.

Kind regards

FoI Officer
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust

show quoted sections