Paramedics are on the very front line of emergency care workers.
They are tasked with being the first to arrive to treat patients at the scene and must use their judgement to make life-saving decisions. Working in teams of two, they treat, resuscitate and stabilise patients and take them to hospital.
As the NHS says, no two days are the same.
Read more: Richard Madeley sparks fury as he asks if Rishi Sunak should have to wait in A&E
In the North East, newly qualified paramedics working for the North East Ambulance Service are paid £27,055 a year. The starting salary for an experienced paramedic is £33,706.
Nowadays, most people's route to qualifying as a paramedic are three-year university courses, with fees of £9,000 a year for full-time students, although financial help is available.
Here's what you have to do to become a paramedic.
How to become a paramedic
There are two routes to becoming a paramedic. You can either complete an approved degree in paramedic science or take an apprenticeship.
Paramedic science degrees take either three or four years, with a mixture of theory and practical work and placements. There are paramedic science courses at Sunderland University and Teesside University.
Typically you'll need two or three A-levels, including a science subject and five GCSEs with grades of 9-4 or A-C, including English language, maths and science.
The NHS says: "Every university sets its own entry requirements, so it’s important to check with them directly. "
Fees are usually £9,000 per year, which are paid back once you start earning, but you may be able to get £5,000 a year to help fund your studies while at university through the NHS Learning Support Fund.
"You’ll then need to apply to an ambulance service as a qualified paramedic and register with the Health and Care Professions Council," the NHS says.
You must also be able to drive by the time you qualify.
Apprenticeships are another option. To get one, you'll typically need four or five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent.
Paramedic jobs and apprenticeship opportunities are listed on the NHS job site.
Read next:
- Ambulance strikes will go ahead on Wednesday after talks fall through
- All of the signs and symptoms of the new XBB.1.5 Covid variant
-
Children's Calpol 'non-existent' on some shop shelves as flu and Covid surges
- UKHSA urges people to wear face masks when feeling unwell amid high Covid and flu cases
NHS strike warning: 'Expect long delays during ambulance service strikes'
