20/12/2023

Paramedic

Based at our Braintree Ambulance Station, supporting the Frontline NHS East of England Ambulance Service. You will be responsible for the care, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and transportation of patients in both emergency and non-emergency scenarios, serving a wide spectrum of patient groups and environments. Additionally, you play a crucial role in mentoring Newly Qualified Paramedics (NQP) and other ambulance clinicians, guiding their professional development and clinical expertise.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Maintaining a professional HCPC registration and adhering to the standards of practice as set by the HCPC.
• Informing the Medicare clinical team immediately if subjected to any regulatory hearing, caution, restriction to practice or suspension.
• Attended urgent and emergency calls as directed by an NHS Ambulance Service.
• Working as part of a double-crewed emergency ambulance as the clinical lead.
• Supervising NQPs in the first stage of their NQP programme (NQP1).
• Providing robust and fair feedback to any NQP as required.
• Liaising with the Medicare clinical team if it is believed that an NQP or other ambulance clinicians under your supervision require additional support.
• Physically manoeuvre and lift patients using the provided manual handling aids.
• Undertaking a manual handling dynamic risk assessment, where necessary, request additional support before attempting any manoeuvre.
• When required, assist patients in their homes, both prior to and after transportation, ensuring they have their basic needs catered for and their homes are safe. This includes highlighting and reporting areas of risk in line with the Medicare risk assessment procedures and Safeguarding policy.
• Completing all relevant operational documentation (VDI check sheets, etc).
• Adherence to Medicare policies and procedures.
• Adherence to any relevant policies and procedures as dictated by an NHS contract (this may include policies and procedures provided by the NHS Trust).
• Ensuring all Medicare vehicles are thoroughly checked prior to the start of a shift. This includes the required equipment and roadworthiness checks.
• Ensuring all Medicare vehicles and equipment are kept clean and within relevant infection, prevention and control policies and procedures.
• Reporting any vehicle defects immediately to the Medicare management team.
• Attending any relevant/required training sessions provided by Medicare.
• Have an adaptable approach to the role and a willingness to be flexible.
• Ensure any changes in your driving status are communicated to Medicare immediately.
• Maintaining contractual key performance indicators that are within your control (journey times, pick-up times, etc).
• Identifying and reporting any equipment failures or faults at the point of identification.
• Ensuring the safe and effective disposal of all clinical waste materials.
• Risk assessing the incident scene for safety and any additional resource requirements, identifying the critically ill patient and developing a management plan to meet the presenting needs.
• Respond under emergency (or non-emergency) conditions ensuring the safety of others and driving with due regard to patient comfort, Road Traffic Regulations, your competence and with courtesy to other road users. NB: you will be required to drive under emergency conditions requiring intense concentration, often for prolonged periods.
• To provide advice and guidance to other clinicians.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Maintain an appropriate level of care for patients relevant to their condition within the authorised level of competence.
• Conduct a systematic examination of the patient using assessment skills and knowledge of the effects of acute/chronic illness and trauma to develop a working diagnosis.
• Timely recognition where more senior clinical intervention is required and/or conveyance to a specialist centre is indicated.
• Assisting another Healthcare Professional to deliver clinical care beyond your scope of practice.
• Interact and reassure distressed, emotional or mentally ill persons in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act and Mental Health Act.
• Undertake clinically appropriate assessments and interventions within the Paramedic clinical scope of practice.
• Administration of medicines authorised by the company and/or Schedule 17 and 19 Human Medicine Regulations 2021.
• Administration of medicines under the company’s Patient Group Directions (PGDs).
• Ensure the administration of any permitted medicines is done in accordance with the relevant JRCALC clinical guidelines.
• Transport patient(s) and others to and from hospitals and other treatment centres in a safe and comfortable manner, reassessing the patient’s condition and responding appropriately to their needs en route.
• Recognising when to seek additional clinical support and/or training.
• Make use of appropriate clinical decision tools where relevant.

Documentation and Record Keeping

• Maintaining a high standard of clinical documentation.
• Accurately record all elements of a clinical assessment and relevant clinical interventions to assist in the continuation of patient care.
• Ensuring the Medicare-specific vehicle forms are completed prior to the start of a shift.
• Submitting accurate and detailed incident forms to Medicare (and any NHS Trust as required).
• Maintaining patient confidentiality at all times.
• Ensuring the safe storage of all clinical documentation in respect of the Medicare control of confidential information policy as outlined within the Data Protection Act and the Caldicott Principles.

Communication

• To communicate sensitive medical information to patients and relatives in a reassuring manner whilst maintaining professionalism, empathy and confidentiality.
• Liaise with other staff and communicate patient information in a professional, confidential manner.
• Maintaining effective communication with patients, healthcare professionals, Medicare Managers and Associate Medicare Professionals.
• Maintain effective communication with any NHS Ambulance Service control room as required.
• Ensuring any relevant individual(s) is made aware of any operational or clinical issues when appropriate (this could include informing the NHS Ambulance Service that a transfer is delayed).

Additional Requirements

• Providing requested information to Medicare under the company’s obligations under the NHS safer recruitment requirements.
• Providing an enhanced disclosure barring service (DBS) with a barred list information certificate.
• Providing requested documents and evidence to allow Medicare to undertake an enhanced DBS with a barred list information certificate.
• On receipt of the Medicare DBS, signing up to the DBS update service to allow Medicare to conduct annual
• DBS checks. Alternatively, provide a new DBS certificate on an annual basis.
• Competing the Medicare health assessment prior to the commencement of operational shifts.
• Maintaining compliance with all required mandatory training set by Medicare.
• Provide evidence of the vaccinations required to undertake frontline emergency work.
• Engage with the Medicare clinician team with routine clinical supervision and appraisals.
• Maintaining an acceptable professional development portfolio as per the HCPC requirements.
• Take responsibility for self-development and progression.

Qualifications

The following qualifications are essential for a Paramedic.

• Higher Education Diploma, FdSc or BSc(Hons) equivalent higher education qualification.
• HCPC registration.
• Full UK driving licence with no more than 3 penalty points.
• Emergency Driving qualification.
• Recent enhanced DBS with barred list information for adults and children. You will be required to undertake a new enhanced DBS with barred list information with Medicare.

The following qualifications are desired:

• Recent experience undertaking frontline emergency work.
• Advanced clinical qualifications.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

The following skills, knowledge and abilities are essential for a Paramedic.

• Experience in dealing with various patient conditions.
• Evidence of a satisfactory level of manual handling training.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Self-motivated team player.
• Demonstrate a high level of accountability and responsibility.
• Flexibility to work varying shift patterns as dictated by the service demand of the contracts.
• Ability to work under pressure with minimum supervision.
• Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience in mentoring NQPs or other clinical grades is desirable.

Personal Characteristics

The following skills, knowledge and abilities are essential for a Paramedic.

• Approachable, adaptable and caring personality.
• Appreciation of the different needs of individuals with varying degrees of mobility.
• Patient empathy
• Punctuality
• Quality and patient-focused.
• Self-motivated and able to use initiative.