Paramedic: Employers and vacancy sources

Most paramedics work for the National Health Service (NHS) (see NHS Careers ), and are recruited and employed in individual NHS trust ambulance services covering specific geographical areas.

Ambulance services are usually committed to having at least one paramedic on each emergency ambulance. Job opportunities are therefore generally good, but the number of vacancies varies between regions across the UK.

Other employers include the armed forces, private ambulance services, overseas health departments and oil and gas exploration companies. There is also the option of working for private paramedical agencies for occasions such as sporting fixtures, major events or on film and TV sets. Other opportunities exist as first-aid instructors and health and safety trainers.

Information about the range of employment available to ambulance personnel is available from the Ambulance Service Network .

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• Ambulance UK  
• Health Service Journal
• NHS Jobs
• Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust
• The Scottish Ambulance Service NHS Trust
• Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
• Local ambulance services. For a list of NHS Ambulance Trusts, see NHS Ambulance Service Trusts in England
• Local and regional newspapers.

Specialist recruitment agencies, such as Health Career Net , occasionally handle vacancies on behalf of NHS ambulance services, sometimes for block recruitment of staff in certain geographical areas. Agencies also handle vacancies for specialist posts, for example, for paramedics based at sporting venues. See the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)  to search for agencies by type of vacancy and location.

A list of private ambulance agencies who cover specialist events is available from the Paramedic Resource Centre . Check for job postings on individual company websites.

Some NHS ambulance services, as well as agencies, operate registers for relief or shift-cover paramedic work.

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