As a member of our Patient Transport
Service (PTS) you will take patients to and from pre-arranged
hospital appointments.
You may also take them to other types of
treatment centres such as day-care facilities and special schools,
and you could pick up and deliver post between
hospitals.
In addition, you will have the opportunity to
work on special patient journeys, including transferring
babies or mental health patients, and moving patients from a
hospital to a hospice if they are nearing the end of life. You will
receive extra training and support to manage these different
situations.
PTS operates within a highly competitive market place and is
required to tender for contracts to provide services to NHS
Trusts. In addition to contractual, non-emergency work PTS supports
other aspects of the London Ambulance Service. PTS
responds to appropriate emergency and urgent calls, as well as
providing support at major London public events.
The Patient Transport Service employs a
variety of roles or grades such as PTS driver, ambulance person,
co-ordinator, trainer and manager. You will have the opportunity to
progress through your career and could apply for other roles in the
service such as A&E support staff or student paramedic,
subject to vacancies being available.
What training do I get?
You will receive a minimum of three weeks'
training, covering:
- a one-week driving course
- patient/customer care and communications
- lifting and manual handling
- basic first aid and basic life-support
- infection control.
You will be trained to the Institute of Health
Care Development/
BTEC
standards.
After your initial training you will be posted
to work with an experienced member of staff on an ambulance so you
can learn more through on-the-job practice.
You will begin by working with patients who
are able to walk to an ambulance for transport. As you progress you
will begin to work with patients with greater needs such as those
who are in a chair.
Additional training is provided to staff where
there may be extra requirements. For instance we will provide
specific training for specialist areas such as kidney patients,
children, and other specialities such as mental health.
Staff who progress onto ambulance person
training will also be trained to lift patients who require
additional assistance, such as those who require a stretcher.
We have a scheme of ongoing training, too.
Every month you will revisit part of your learning with a
work-based trainer.
Regular on-the-job training includes:
- familiarisation with new vehicles and
equipment
- basic life-support
- safeguarding children and
vulnerable adults
- diversity
- infection control procedures
- customer service
- automatic electronic defibrillator (AED)
training
- harnessing and securing patients and
wheelchairs
You will be fully supported by the control
room, your manager and other frontline crews.
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What benefits will I receive?
As a PTS driver you will receive a
starting salary of around £16,572. If you are a PTS ambulance
person you will receive upwards of £18,000.
You will also be able to take advantage of
other benefits.
- A minimum 27 days' holiday each year,
increasing with service.
- New NHS employees from April 2008 will be
eligible to join the Amended NHS Pension Scheme which provides
membership to a final salary scheme with pension linked to pay near
retirement. Other benefits include life assurance, dependent
benefits, voluntary early retirement, ill-health retirement
benefits and the option to increase retirement benefits.
- Access to a round-the-clock employee
assistance programme.
- Personal and professional development and
training opportunities.
- Interest-free travel season ticket loan.
- Childcare voucher scheme.
- Access to NHS discounts, offering NHS employees a range
of money-saving deals.
- Access to occupational health and counselling
services.
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How do I apply?
Unfortunately we are not recruiting at the
moment for this role.
If any places do become available we will
advertise them on the
current vacancies section of our website.
Be aware that these jobs are physically
demanding as you will be lifting and carrying patients as part of
your role.
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