London Ambulance Service to recruit more Australian paramedics

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS) is set to return to Australia in September to recruit additional paramedics, after making employment offers to 393 paramedics during previous visits in September 2014 and March 2015.

A team of recruitment and operational staff from LAS will interview and assess approximately 200 experienced paramedics or paramedics who will have recently graduated.

LAS will be in Sydney between Monday 7 September and Friday 11 September at The Westin Hotel, 1 Martin Place, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) 2000 and Melbourne between Monday 14 September and Friday 18 September at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, 2 Clarendon Street, South Wharf, Melbourne.

The emphasis of this forthcoming campaign is to specifically target qualified, experienced paramedics, or those who will be qualified by the end of 2015.

Karen Broughton, LAS director of transformation, strategy and workforce, said: ‘If you’re a qualified paramedic or will be qualified by the end of 2015, we would love to see you. Please sign up for our assessment days and find out about working for the world’s busiest ambulance service.

‘The Australian paramedics that we’ve already recruited are doing a fantastic job and form a crucial part of our workforce. They’re extremely enthusiastic, have a great work ethic and are keen to progress, which is why we’re going back to recruit more. They are really enjoying London and all that the city has to offer.

‘As well as recruiting from the UK, we’re recruiting Australian paramedics because their skills closely match those of our paramedics here. To support them in taking up their new jobs in London we provide a three-week familiarisation course and driver training, so that they have all they need before beginning work with us.’

More paramedics are needed in London due to year-on-year increases in demand and a national shortage of paramedics making it difficult to recruit within the UK.

While LAS is working with universities to increase paramedic places on courses, and training paramedics in-house, more are needed to bridge the gap until these are qualified.

The team will also visit universities and hold opening evenings in Sydney and Melbourne to urge experienced and graduating paramedic graduates to consider a career with LAS.

Taken from Journal of Paramedic Practice, published 19 August 2015.