Exclusive look at the College of Paramedics Post-Registration Career Framework

The College of Paramedics (CoP) Professional Standards Directorate made the decision to separate the Paramedic Curriculum Guidance (CoP, 2014) from the Paramedic Post-Registration Career Framework. The initial document provides the curriculum for student paramedics to develop the education, knowledge, skills and competencies in order to meet the standards required by the regulatory body to become eligible to register as a paramedic. The latter is published to provide registered paramedics with guidance regarding the appropriate education, knowledge and expertise to facilitate their development along the Paramedic Post-Registration Career Framework pathway.

Since the publication of the Paramedic Curriculum Guidance and Competence Framework (CoP, 2008), the College has continued to address and develop the clinical, educational, managerial and research abilities for post-registered paramedics. These include current and potential career opportunities, some of which—including development into the wider health care of the community—have been appraised and reviewed and, consequently, paramedics are now delivering care and treatments that would have only been undertaken by Doctors 10 years ago (NHS England, 2013). Paramedics are becoming mandated to ensure that they provide patients and service users with the most appropriate treatment at the point of contact and, consequently, receive the care, compassion and expertise in every aspect of urgent and emergency, or critical care.