Why UK paramedics are leaving ambulance services to work clinically elsewhere in the NHS
Date: Thursday 26th May 2022
Aims / Objectives
Retention of paramedics is a challenge for many UK ambulance services, with resulting shortages placing increasing strain on delivering safe levels of care (National Audit Office, 2017). Increasing numbers of leavers are taking up clinical roles in General Practice and hospitals. These are relatively new career opportunities for paramedics. Research into this area of employee turnover specific to UK paramedics is limited.
This research aimed to identify the relative importance of employee turnover factors to this paramedic population. It explored the paramedics’ perceptions of their employment move in terms of job, occupation, or career change and whether their sense of professional identity had changed following their change of employer.
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Tim Hayes, Deputy Head, School of Allied Health
Tim is Deputy Head of the School of Allied Health and an Associate Professor at Anglia Ruskin University. He is an experienced paramedic, healthcare manager and academic.
He sits on the College of Paramedics Education Advisory Group as well as holding roles with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Lead Visitor assessing University courses for approval and a Partner on Fitness to Practice panels.
Tim is currently completing his PhD part time and his areas of research interest include ambulance service turnover, retention, and culture and paramedic professional identity.
Prior to moving into academia, Tim worked within the UK ambulance services for over fifteen years. He worked clinically as an ambulance paramedic, HEMS critical care paramedic, and training officer. He also held operational and clinical management positions at junior, middle and senior levels.