Student paramedic recruitment drives

Last month it was announced that the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) was aiming to recruit 400 student paramedics as part of the service's turnaround plan which was issued in April last year (EEAST, 2013). The plan was brought about following criticism directed at the service as a result of poor response times, where it was felt that people could not be assured they would receive care in a timely and effective manner (Care Quality Commission, 2013).

Within the plan, the Trust acknowledges: ‘We are not delivering our 999 service, which is our core business well enough’ (EEAST, 2013). It outlines some of the challenges faced by the Trust, which it groups into the headings: leadership, our people, clinical operational delivery, and systems and processes.

The recruitment drive comes as a result of the realisation that there are not enough front-line resources available to deliver the required levels of service in both urban and rural areas. This includes not enough staff or double staffed ambulances.