Welsh ambulance service in recruitment drive to improve performance
29 September 2014
The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust is in the middle of a recruitment drive that is hoped to improve its performance.
Mon, 29 Sep 2014
The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust is in the middle of a recruitment drive that is hoped to improve its performance.
The South Wales Argus reported earlier this month that the service was using private ambulances to help respond to emergency calls in weekends because it did not have enough available staff.
A statement provided to Recruiter today [29 September] said since April, the service had recruited 79 extra staff across Wales.
They were:
A further 21 paramedics will be appointed in the coming weeks and are expected to begin working by February. The trust will also hire 48 emergency medical technicians, some of whom will begin work by December and the rest by April.
The service last month launched an initiative which allows low-risk patients to access alternative transport to hospital if needed, freeing up emergency ambulances.
Meanwhile, the London Ambulance Service has had to turn its attention overseas to recruit staff.
The service’s recruitment team visited Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane this month to interview and assess Australian paramedics.
A statement announcing the recruitment strategy said more paramedics were needed in London due to year-on-year increases in demand and because of a move to have more registered healthcare professionals overseeing patient care.
For more on the London service’s Australian campaign, see this Thursday’s edition of Recruiter’s In-House bulletin.
The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust is in the middle of a recruitment drive that is hoped to improve its performance.
The South Wales Argus reported earlier this month that the service was using private ambulances to help respond to emergency calls in weekends because it did not have enough available staff.
A statement provided to Recruiter today [29 September] said since April, the service had recruited 79 extra staff across Wales.
They were:
- 21 paramedics, nine of whom began work in July and 12 who began last week
- 12 Higher Education Institute paramedics who are to begin work in December
- 46 staff into the Urgent Care Service, all to begin work in November
A further 21 paramedics will be appointed in the coming weeks and are expected to begin working by February. The trust will also hire 48 emergency medical technicians, some of whom will begin work by December and the rest by April.
The service last month launched an initiative which allows low-risk patients to access alternative transport to hospital if needed, freeing up emergency ambulances.
Meanwhile, the London Ambulance Service has had to turn its attention overseas to recruit staff.
The service’s recruitment team visited Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane this month to interview and assess Australian paramedics.
A statement announcing the recruitment strategy said more paramedics were needed in London due to year-on-year increases in demand and because of a move to have more registered healthcare professionals overseeing patient care.
For more on the London service’s Australian campaign, see this Thursday’s edition of Recruiter’s In-House bulletin.
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