Emergency Care Assistant
What is the work like?
An Emergency Care Assistant (ECA) drives an ambulance under emergency conditions and supports the work of qualified ambulance technicians and paramedics.
As an ECA, your day-to-day duties would include:
- using advanced emergency driving skills to respond to medical emergencies
- transporting patients between hospitals and clinics for planned appointments and treatment
- safely transferring patients to and from ambulance vehicles, using suitable equipment and manual handling skills
- helping ambulance paramedics and technicians deal with urgent hospital admissions
- responding to any other situation you are directed to by the emergency control centre
- helping to complete a handover report, recording all patient information
- making sure your vehicle is roadworthy and properly kitted out and cleaned (paying particular attention to infection prevention) after every call.
When responding to a call, you would help technicians and paramedics provide pre-hospital care. You would have little warning of the exact circumstances of the type of emergency you would attend to.
On an emergency call you would:
- carry out basic scene safety checks and assess the risk to yourself and others, in line with health and safety guidelines
- contact the emergency control centre to request extra support when needed
- carry out basic diagnostic procedures under the direct supervision of a paramedic
- support the delivery of first aid and minor emergency treatments
- monitor and treat patients until they are transferred to the care of another suitably qualified health professional.
Your work would involve communicating with patients and relatives with dignity and respect in often challenging circumstances. You would work alongside emergency services, relevant authorities and health and social care professionals.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
There are 14 regional NHS ambulance services in the UK. The entry criteria (and training) can vary slightly between services, so it is important you check the details with the ambulance service you wish to join.
In general, to become an ECA you need:
- excellent driving skills and a thorough up to date knowledge of the highway code
- previous experience in a customer care role
- an awareness of equality and diversity in the work place and surrounding community
- the ability to communicate well with a wide variety of people in often challenging circumstances
- good fitness levels and good eyesight (prescription glasses are acceptable).
You will also need a full B and C1 category driving licence with no more than 3 penalty points or any short period disqualification. You may be accepted with a provisional C1 licence, but you will need a full licence before you start training as an ECA. You must be at least age 18 to apply for a C1 licence.
Many ambulance services will also prefer you to have:
- a current First Aid Certificate
- a good standard of education (for example, 3 or 4 GCSEs (A-C) including English, maths and a science subject)
- experience of working in a patient care setting, ideally in the NHS.
A full Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check will be carried out when you apply for this post.
For more information contact your local ambulance service listed on the NHS Confederation website.
What further training and development can I do?
Once you are working as a trainee ECA, you will have a period of intensive training. This can take around nine weeks and cover areas such as:
- basic life support skills
- first aid
- specialised driving skills
- procedures for collecting patients
- the process of transferring patient care to other health professionals.
Your training could also involve working towards a BTEC (formerly IHCD) qualification in Ambulance Care.
For your first six months in post, you will be monitored and assessed as part of an ongoing training programme.
Throughout your career, you will need to keep up to date with advances in patient care, which are relevant to your role. You will be expected to continue your professional development and keep a portfolio of practical and clinical experiences that demonstrate your skills and knowledge.
Where can I go for more information?
The NHS Confederation3rd Floor
29 Bressenden Place
London
SW1E 5DD
Tel: 020 7074 3200
Bristol
BS99 3EY
Tel: 0845 606 0655
Derby
DE23 8GF
Tel: 01332 746 356
Broad Plain
Bristol
BS2 0JP
Tel: 0117 922 1155
If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning adviser, call 0800 100 900 or use our online enquiry form
Alternatively, you can visit our website at: www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice
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What salary and other benefits can I expect?
- Starting salaries can be around £14,500 a year.
- With experience, this can rise to around £17,300 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, work unsocial hours or rotational shifts.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
Resilience and sensitivity are essential in this job. On a typical emergency call you might attend to emotionally distressed patients in difficult situations. You could also face unpleasant tasks and verbal aggression from people under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
You would wear a uniform, which includes protective clothing such as a bright jacket, safety boots and, in some services, a stab-proof vest. You would spend much of your time in the community. Your work may involve heavy lifting, when transferring patients.
You would typically work 37.5 hours a week as a full-time emergency care assistant. This will include shift work, evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Part-time posts may be available after you have completed your training.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- a genuine desire to help and care for others
- good spoken and written communication skills
- good listening skills
- the ability to use communication and computerised systems
- the ability to manage and respond to a changing workload
- a responsible attitude to work and good team working skills
- the ability to drive under emergency conditions
- good decision making skills
- the ability to remain calm under pressure
- an understanding of patient confidentiality
- the ability to demonstrate safe manual handling skills.
What opportunities are there?
Most job opportunities are within the NHS, although you may be able to train and work in the armed forces or private ambulance services. Contact your local ambulance service for further advice on vacancies in your region.
As an experienced ECA, you could apply for paramedic training (check the Ambulance Paramedic job profile for details). However, this is not a guaranteed progression route and you would apply for training in open competition. You could also find opportunities for secondment or promotion in the ambulance control room, in a training role, or in human resources.
Employment in the accident and emergency NHS ambulance service is generally stable. However, to find a position, you may need to relocate. You may find the following links useful for job vacancies and general reading:
- NHS Jobs
- NHS Confederation (for a list of Ambulance Trusts)
- Regional list of NHS employers (NHS Jobs)
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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