London Ambulance Service paramedic recognised with prestigious award for pioneering educational programmes

A paramedic from London Ambulance Service has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to the profession.

Dr Vince Clarke has received a fellowship award from the College of Paramedics, the professional body which represents the country’s 28,000 registered paramedics.

The rare award, which recognises exceptional service to paramedicine, acknowledges his ground-breaking work creating and developing educational programmes for ambulance clinicians.

Vince, who has worked for London Ambulance Service as a paramedic for nearly 30 years, was responsible for the development of the Academy Paramedic Programme, which provided in-house training for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) so they could become paramedics. The programme was the predecessor to the Service’s current degree apprenticeship programme.

Dr Vince Clarke, who is still a Paramedic at London Ambulance Service and an Associate Professor for Paramedic Science at University of Hertfordshire, said:

“It is a great honour to be recognised by the College of Paramedics. I’ve worked on the development of a number of educational programmes within the paramedic profession throughout my career, as well as a five-year term as the College’s Trustee for Education.

“It’s incredible how far we’ve come and how much the profession has evolved.  It’s very different from when I joined the LAS in 1996. Paramedic courses are now at degree level and generally take a minimum of three years, whereas my paramedic course was only six weeks long.

“I was a lifeguard and fitness instructor before I joined London Ambulance Service. I wanted a change of direction. I saw an ambulance crew on a TV programme and that sparked my interest – it was before paramedics were well-known as a profession.

“Becoming a paramedic is definitely an aspirational career path now. They provide even more specialised care in different settings than ever before.”

Pauline Cranmer, Chief Paramedic at London Ambulance Service, said:

“I would like to congratulate Vince on his recent fellowship – it’s an incredible achievement.

“He has touched the lives of so many of our paramedics here at London Ambulance Service and taught so many of our teams at all levels of the organisation – from our entry level roles to some of our most senior colleagues.

“He has been at the forefront of the paramedic profession at LAS as it evolved throughout the decades. This fellowship recognises how much he has shaped our paramedics in London and across the country.”

Vince joined London Ambulance Service in 1996, qualified as paramedic in 1998 and entered the Service’s Education and Development Department in 2001.

Vince’s work informed the development of university-accredited paramedic science courses and helped shape the education programmes for paramedics at London Ambulance Service.

London Ambulance Service fully funds apprenticeships on university programmes and they continue to earn their salary working as emergency medical technicians (EMT) on ambulances while they complete their degree.

The programme runs alongside the successful Associate Ambulance Practitioner apprenticeship, which is a route to becoming an EMT without any prior medical qualifications.

Following the apprenticeship, frontline workers can move onto the two-year degree course without pausing their careers.

The Service was recently ranked as the top NHS organisation for apprenticeships by The Times.

For more information on the different apprenticeship opportunities visit a dedicated page about apprenticeship opportunities on our website. You can also find out more about Paramedic Science degrees here.