Becoming an ambulance driver isn’t like taking on any other type of driving work. The difference is that you’ll need some degree of medical training and an understanding of how to lift people safely. Ambulance driver jobs don’t require you to undertake a specific test, but there are other requirements.
An ambulance care assistant or patient transport service (PTS) driver will have to move disabled, elderly and other vulnerable people to and from day-care centres, hospitals and outpatient clinics. These people can sometimes be pretty anxious about what lies ahead so some inherent people skills will be required to do this job.
An ambulance driver is based at a centralised location that is normally one of the area’s largest hospitals. The work is normally carried out in shifts and each ambulance team is given a geographical area to work. The ambulance team is normally made up of two people, each of which is expected to be able to operate the ambulance’s tail-lift for wheelchair bound patients. Some ambulance drivers actually work on their own and use standard cars to ferry able-bodied people around.
You’ll need to drive to your destination safely and in good time. Patient comfort is often more important than outright speed, but being prompt is a major part of the role. You’ll be expected to be able to resuscitate patients who are taken ill while in your care, so this will form part of the training process. Keeping an accurate record of the journeys you’ve been on and keeping the ambulance tidy are other requirements of the role.
Before you can enrol, you’ll need some qualifications. These normally include GCSE or NVQs, but the specifics of which qualifications you will need depend on the trust you’re applying to. You’ll have to have a full driver’s licence that allows you to drive vehicles matching the weight of the ambulance. For those who passed their driving test after 1996, an additional driving qualification for larger vehicles has to be undertaken.
Visit nhscareers.nhs.uk and nhs.uk for further information on applying for NHS jobs and to find out where your local ambulance trust is based.
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