The commissioned activity for the ECU is also defined by key deliverables and workstreams for the education and training of Ambulance Service personnel, who may need to work within the interoperable capabilities, or the command and control environment.
In 2024 NHS England in the Service of Requirements defined these objectives as;
- Develop and maintain minimum competency standards and training requirements for NHS staff that facilitate the interoperable capabilities.
- Design and produce national training packages for the interoperable capabilities, including consistent clinical skills and interventions.
- Provide national quality assurance and external verification for training and education delivered locally or regionally by NHS ambulance services or third-party providers.
- Undertake a review of education and training that support local or regional delivery.
- Facilitate specialist national training, including ‘train the trainer’ programmes, and exercises for NHS clinicians to maintain competence to deploy as part of the interoperable capabilities.
As the ECU service moved from the previous two sites into a combined singular site, Educational delivery was paused for three months and the team took this time to recalibrate what the above objectives meant to them. Today, they work towards clear core deliverables that aim this financial year too;
- Collaborate with the NHS Ambulance Trusts in England, to develop a strategy for education and training linked to the defined interoperable capabilities. This will include support for all frontline Ambulance responders, control room staff and commanders in addition to specialist responder groups. The strategy should also clearly delineate the delivery of training at the local or regional level and the training delivered at the national level.
- Develop and maintain a national curriculum covering the education and training requirements for the defined interoperable capabilities.
- Establish and maintain a national multidisciplinary faculty to support the development and delivery of education for the defined interoperable capabilities.
- Develop a leadership programme for pre-hospital NHS Commanders, including core competencies, packages and supportive opportunities to maintain their skills.
- Explore opportunities for increased academic accreditation for relevant elements of the education and training facilitated by the ECU.
- Maintain a close collaborative relationship with lead educators across the English NHS Ambulance Trusts.
- Raise the profile of the emergency capabilities and education through research and academic collaborations.
