The Death of The Ambulance Technician?
Yes - The role of ambulance technician has been phased out of many trusts, and those who are currently employed within this role, will have to commit to the paramedical science degree to qualify them as paramedics, or accept a role as an emergency care assistant. Technicians who opt to apply for the degree will be given the opportunity, though it is not realistic to assume that all technicians will be successful or indeed capable of completing the course.
Concern was also raised about the amount of driving an ECA has to do during a 12 hour shift as driving time regulations do not apply to emergency services. Whilst any member of staff may drive when responding to an emergency case, initially only the ECA was able to drive when a patient is on board. Now, many trusts have set out guidelines which allow ECAs to attend to patients who are unlikely to require clinical intervention en route to hospital.
Read more about this topic: Emergency Care Assistant
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