Initial reading is grim. Current shortfall in NHS staffing overall is said to be 150,000 FTE. This could increase to 360,000 FTE by 2036 without intervention. This increasing shortfall is predicted to be more pronounced for #paramedics than some other AHP groups

To counter this, there needs to be a 50% increase in training places for paramedics by 2030. Which seems unlikely!

Education features a lot in this document. But there are some mixed messages which I can’t decipher. Not at 1am on a night shift anyway. Here’s what they say:

As part of the drive to expand the profession, and increase supply more rapidly, there will be a new two year MSc programme to allow graduates to become registered practitioners faster

But they also talk about 25-50% of paramedics training via an apprenticeship route. I think that will be linked to an undergraduate degree?

Talking of undergraduate degrees, there is going to be an (even) greater focus on community & primary care education alongside rotational training placements in hospitals, community & primary care settings.

This, in part, to ensure paramedics are trained and competent to manage the changing face of unscheduled and emergency care. But also to prepare the workforce for the other big focus of the report….

….Advanced practice. The report calls for 6,300 clinicians PER YEAR to start advanced practice pathways by 2031, and paramedics are specifically mentioned as a group targeted to enter these roles.

In particular, the report mentions training 150 advanced paramedics per year to work in Same Day Emergency Care units. This will be supported by the development of community advanced practice credentialing What is SDEC?

And alongside advanced practice, there is also discussions over robust career pathways and facilitating the transition of experienced advanced practitioners to enter consultant practice roles.

Finally, there is work underway to create shortened medical degrees for existing healthcare professionals include paramedics.

So, plenty of food for thought. I think my take on it is that it’s a good time to be a paramedic with a multitude of expanding opportunities in the future. But I do wonder if this report addresses the retention issues faced by ambulance services, or simply fuels the fire?

Maybe we are on the brink of accepting that #paramedics are no longer an “ambulance” based profession? We are acute and emergency healthcare practitioners who choose to specialise in prehospital care, SDEC, primary care etc etc….?

@heli_med_james I think they missed a chance slightly to address an issue. I now work in primary care, I wish I worked in primary care before doing frontline. I guarantee that the conveyance rate would decrease dramatically if paramedics done primary care first.

@heli_med_james All this Urgent care / Paramedic chat …. Who responds to the 999 calls ? We have a junior inexperienced workforce who now leave after 18-36 months. This alone is an issue.

@heli_med_james Seems to be a classic govt approach to " train more" and not recognising the retention issues. Filling a bucket up faster doesn't keep it full if you still have a leak.

@heli_med_james Fantastic thread, thanks James.