East: 200 More Paramedics Needed

31 January 2013, 05:49

The East of England Ambulance Service says they're advertising for 200 more paramedics.

They are putting adverts in the industry magazines and holding a graduate open day to fill the posts.

Andrew Morgan, EEAST Interim Chief Executive Officer, said: “Having more than 200 new frontline staff on board is a big boost for the ambulance service and the communities it serves.

“These extra crew members will, in conjunction with the raft of measures we have planned, mean we can really start to improve the service and care we give to patients.”

Andrew said that, with life-threatening emergencies making up only a fifth of 999 ambulance calls, Emergency Care Assistants attending lower priority incidents means more paramedics for the patients who really need them.

The Trust already has more staff than ever and nearly double the number compared to when it was formed, from 948 paramedics in 2007 to 1,492 at the last count last year and 16 ECAs in 2007 to 333 in December 2012.