Ambulance service launches recruitment campaign

St John Ambulance and Rescue Service has launched an initiative to recruit emergency care assistants and ambulance care assistants

A recruitment campaign has been launched by the ambulance service in Guernsey.

St John Ambulance and Rescue Service (SJARS) launched its initiative to recruit emergency care assistants (ECAs) and ambulance care assistants (ACAs) to "maintain and increase resilience across the operation".

The service said it provided emergency ambulance operations, accounting for more than 6,500 calls, and non-emergency patient transfer services, attended nearly 3000 cases per year.

Dean de la Mare, head of operations, said it was a career "where you can make a real difference to peoples lives".

'Increase resilience'

He said: "The ECA role can be a good entry point for someone wanting to start a career in the ambulance service, we have seen a number of our ECAs training to become Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.

"We are currently recruiting to fill vacant positions and additional roles, which will help us increase our overall resilience.”

ECAs work as part of a double-crewed ambulance alongside paramedics and emergency medical technicians on the frontline, providing pre-hospital care and treatment to injured islanders.

ACAs transport patients to and from medical and out-patient appointments, dialysis treatment and when people are unable to travel by other means.

Nicky Strong, non-emergency patient transfer service leader, decided on a career change from sales and marketing four years ago.

She said those joining had to be "a people person, with good communication skills and perhaps most importantly a caring nature".

"You get to meet lots of people and at the end of every day you know you’ve made a difference.”

SJARS also staffs the Flying Christine III marine ambulance, and said it would support those wanting to progress their career to "high clinical levels".