I’ve recently been made redundant from my H&S job. It was just as well, as I’ve been really stressed and was within about 3 weeks of packing it in!
(I wanted to do H&S; my employers wanted me to spend the vast majority of my time recording accidents rather than preventing them. As there were three large sites, and I’m paid more than a clerk, go figure! With a bit of clerical input, I could have analysed the figures [I’m good at stats], and also got about to try to prevent more accidents occurring.)
However, I’d quite like to change direction. I really enjoy helping sick & injured people; I’ve been a works First Aider for over 20 years continuously, and a few (separate) times before that – a total of 30+ years. I’ve also been a Community First Responder for nearly four years.
I’d love a job with the Ambulance Service. I may be a bit long in the tooth to become a paramedic (not that I don’t think I could do it, but that I would be forced to retire before the Trust got their money’s worth), but I could do the ECA job, and even the EMT (or whatever fancy name it’s being given now) with the requisite training – less than that of a paramedic.
Unfortunately our local ambulance trust is not taking on ANYONE at the moment, or not, at least, in any kind of clinical role. I don’t want to move house again; I like where I live. I could access virtually anywhere in our Trust’s area in about an hour or so, being close to the centre of the region.
Can anyone suggest how I could get a sharp-end job with a good ambulance trust/company? I don’t want simply to do patient transport, out of preference.
I have considered doing First Aid training; I’ve done it before and enjoyed it, but I’d prefer a hands-on job.