Why work as a Paramedic in DCHS
Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust provides services to adults across physical and mental health including learning disabilities within the community.
DCHS employs registered Paramedics in multi-professional roles such as Urgent Care Practitioners, Enhanced Care Practitioners (ECP) or Advanced Care Practitioners (ACP) who work in community hospitals, in patient`s homes, care homes and Urgent Treatment Centres.
Paramedics will work in a range of urgent and non-urgent situations, using their clinical judgement and skills to access a patient`s condition and make clinical care decisions. They can also help patients with minor injuries and illnesses, as well as those with long term conditions.
The Trust employs Paramedics who are employed as Urgent Care Practitioners, Enhanced Care Practitioners and Advanced Care Practitioners who work across a variety of teams including:
- Community teams
- Community hospitals
- Care Homes
- Urgent Treatment Centres
- Community Integrated teams
- Mental health teams for older adults
Paramedics will work closely with other healthcare teams to provide clinical services to patients, in the most appropriate environment to meet their individual needs.
To practise as a Paramedic, you must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). To register with the HCPC, you first need to successfully complete an approved degree level qualification in Paramedic Science or have an apprenticeship degree. Paramedic Science courses usually take between 3 and 4 years fulltime and include a mixture of theory and practical work including placements with the ambulance service. The apprenticeship commences with a level 3 and allows individuals to progress right through to a degree apprenticeship and to becoming a fully qualified Paramedic in just over 4 years.
All vacancies at DCHS are advertised on the NHS Jobs website and our vacancies page: View our current vacancies : DCHS
DCHS is unable to support people to undertake an apprenticeship to become a paramedic, however registered paramedics can further their career within DCHS by undertaking apprenticeships to advance their practice.
ECP (community) offers care for frail and elderly patients – some of which may have mental health or Learning disabilities. Some of our team have a paramedic background.
A paramedic can apply for an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) training apprenticeship or non-apprenticeship route (NHSE funded), but to do so they must have been recruited into a trainee ACP post first. Criteria for applying for ACP training is a minimum of 5 years post registration experience (with 2 years in a more senior role/ leadership exposure). The training posts must be for a minimum of 30 hours per week and involve undertaking an advanced practice workplace portfolio alongside the Advanced Clinical Practice Masters. To meet criteria for the ACP masters (apprenticeship or non-apprenticeship route), a minimum level of prior of academic study is required- this being 40 credits at band 6/ level 7.