Emergency medical personnel in the United Kingdom

'Paramedic' is a protected title, strictly regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council,[1] although there is tendency for the public to use this term when referring to any member of ambulance staff.

Part 1 established the 'Ambulance Services Proficiency Certificate', which included training in first aid, anatomy and physiology, basic oxygen administration and suction of airways, resuscitation, splinting and handling, and operational matters.

Trainees followed a wide academic curriculum which led to a written exam and if successful, they became Associates and entered the clinical phase of training.

This 'in-house' paramedic training was a modular programme, usually between ten and 12 weeks, followed by time spent in a hospital emergency department, coronary care centre and operating theatre, assisting the anaesthetist and performing airway management techniques such as endotracheal intubation.

[10] Prior to regulation and closure of the title, the term "paramedic" was used by a variety of people with varying levels of ability.

[citation needed] Eventually the IHCD began to accredit a few non-NHS training establishments, allowing them to teach their curriculum.

By necessity these included all of the practical skills found in the IHCD curriculum and allowed applicants to apply for registration with the HPC.

This leaves the university route as the primary pathway for new paramedics, with a number of universities offering qualifications which can lead to registration, both as full-time courses for new students (although they must also be accepted for the practical element of the training by an ambulance service) and part-time courses for existing ambulance staff.

[12] The specific skills performed by each group of emergency medical personnel is dictated by a combination of education, associated legal frameworks and the policies of their employer.

The most homogeneous group are the Paramedics, as the framework of practice is largely guided by their status as healthcare professionals registered with the HCPC.

Therefore, their skill sets and permitted clinical interventions are governed primarily by their employer within the scope of relevant legislation.

This body is made up of representatives from a number of medical, nursing, allied health professional and ambulance organisations.

However, moves within the private sector is being made to start regulating and adding accountability to non-registered Healthcare Professionals in the Pre-Hospital Arena.

Generally, Ambulance Technicians can either work autonomously, making their own clinical decisions within their training and remit, or as assistants to a paramedic.

The term Emergency Medical Technician is not a protected title they are allowed to do this however the scope of practice difference has caused issue, especially when time critical patients are being transported by NHS resources from an event site.

Although the scope of practice partially meets FPHC Skills Descriptor F the qualification itself maps more fully to ECA than AAP.

As is not directly comparable to either qualification and in the absence of an externally recognised certification, NHS trusts and other organisations have taken their own view on where the qualification sits, for example the HPAC align EAC to the Emergency Care Assistant role,[29] as do some NHS Ambulance Trusts.

[citation needed] The CQC found that deployment of EACs in either of these settings was both safe and effective and rated SJA's ambulance services as 'Good' across the board.

[30] Associate ambulance practitioners work as non-registered healthcare professionals, similar in scope of practice to the now discontinued IHCD technician qualification.

[31] Generally, AAPs can either work autonomously, making their own clinical decisions within their training and remit, or as assistants to a paramedic.

[33] The idea of having the NENAS involved in the creation of the scope and abilities of an AAP and to create a qualification which is portable and accepted everywhere within the UK.

[46] Many paramedics choose to progress their career by qualifying to further levels, such as by undertaking additional diplomas or higher degrees.

Paramedics or pre-hospital care providers in the UK may also use other titles such as: The drugs administered by technicians or AAPs are given under provision of The Human Medicines Regulations 2012,[55] and under direction of the JRCALC Clinical Practice Guidelines.

They include general sales list (GSL), Pharmacy Only (P) and Prescription Only (PO) medicines under schedule 19 of the regulation.

[57][needs update][58][59][60] Other drugs are given by paramedics with advanced training, either by utilising a patient group direction (PGD) or simply because they are classified as over the counter (OTC) medicines which are available to anyone.

On admission to the specialist hospital the patient should rapidly receive a CT scan of their head, to guide treatment.