Engaged without proposing.

dktreesea

Person_one wrote: »

No, that's really not the reason. Even if there wasn't a single foreign paramedic willing to work here, this government wouldn't increase the funding for training places unless they felt they had to in order to remain in power.

That's Britain's Achilles heel, especially in England. Not enough places in higher education to meet the needs of the country going forward.

Primrose

This thread does seem to have been derailed and steered away from its original purpose.
Can we just wish our poster a happy wedding whenever it takes place and hope that despite the eventual passing of her father he and his new wife have a happy life together.

mumps

Person_one wrote: »

It is very very competitive, only a small number of paramedics qualify each year, but this is because there is limited funding available for training places. Ambulance trusts go abroad to recruit already qualified paramedics that they don't have to pay to train to fill the gaps.

Doesn't it work both way though? I heard that alot of qualified paramedics are going abroad almost as soon as they qualify. Maybe if they have had training paid for plus a bursary they should have to work in the UK for a few years? I know the funding is changing but it has been free.

catkins

mumps wrote: »

I know someone who is trying to get on a university course to be a paramedic, it seems to be very competitive but there are definitely courses available.

It makes me laugh that people now have to go to Uni to become a paramedic. My OH was one over 30 years ago and he certainly did not have to go to Uni to become one.

dirty_magic wrote: »

I think this is it, it's not a bad wage elsewhere in the UK but in London it's not enough, even with the London weighting. People train in London and then move to other services. Most of the services recruiting from abroad are in the south where house prices are higher.

The money has always been rubbish considering what they have to do. When I met OH I worked in an office and earned far more than he did.

In London especially paramedics can be involved in far worse incidents than outside of London. My OH often got called to people under tubes which is not nice. Also shootings, stabbings, a siege, the Kings Cross fire.

I know a paramedic who works in Essex and she can't believe some of the calls my OH got as hers are almost all pretty ordinary in comparison

Person_one

mumps wrote: »

Doesn't it work both way though? I heard that alot of qualified paramedics are going abroad almost as soon as they qualify. Maybe if they have had training paid for plus a bursary they should have to work in the UK for a few years? I know the funding is changing but it has been free.

Bit of a myth that, most are overjoyed to get their first jobs in the UK and its only after a few years that they get so demoralised and stressed out that they go elsewhere for better working conditions.

If we don't want our NHS staff to go elsewhere, we need to look at why they feel they have to.

Person_one

catkins wrote: »

It makes me laugh that people now have to go to Uni to become a paramedic. My OH was one over 30 years ago and he certainly did not have to go to Uni to become one.

No, but the job has changed, hasn't it? Your OH will have been expected to do more and more each year and to have more and more in depth knowledge. Qualified paramedics keep up through CPD, new ones need to get it straightaway so they can hit the ground running.

London paramedics are no more special or skilled than any other paramedics!

seven-day-weekend

Person_one wrote: »

Bit of a myth that, most are overjoyed to get their first jobs in the UK and its only after a few years that they get so demoralised and stressed out that they go elsewhere for better working conditions.

If we don't want our NHS staff to go elsewhere, we need to look at why they feel they have to.

My friends who are training are dismayed at the amount of red tape/form filling/report writing and other admin they have to do, with no time allowed to do it. They enjoy the paramedic side of it.

Also have heard of one paramedic being 'officially warned' for clocking in 40 SECONDS late. Don't know how true that is.

Person_one

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

My friends who are training are dismayed at the amount of red tape/form filling/report writing and other admin they have to do, with no time allowed to do it. They enjoy the paramedic side of it.

Also have heard of one paramedic being 'officially warned' for clocking in 40 SECONDS late. Don't know how true that is.

That doesn't sound true to be honest. The kinds of things that drive NHS staff to leave are things like dangerously low staffing that leaves them in fear that real harm will be caused and as well as having to live with that they could lose their livelihood or end up in court, not having the time or resources to give the kind of care they want to give, and management and government who don't understand the pressures they are under.

mumps

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

My friends who are training are dismayed at the amount of red tape/form filling/report writing and other admin they have to do, with no time allowed to do it. They enjoy the paramedic side of it.

Also have heard of one paramedic being 'officially warned' for clocking in 40 SECONDS late. Don't know how true that is.

Years ago, probably doesn't happen now, police officers had to parade 15 minutes before their shift started. So if you were on first watch you were paid from 6 am but had to be on parade at 5.45 am. If you were late, even by seconds, you were fined 15 minutes pay even though they weren't even paying you. Now that was cheeky.

seven-day-weekend

mumps wrote: »

Years ago, probably doesn't happen now, police officers had to parade 15 minutes before their shift started. So if you were on first watch you were paid from 6 am but had to be on parade at 5.45 am. If you were late, even by seconds, you were fined 15 minutes pay even though they weren't even paying you. Now that was cheeky.

It was the same in the fire brigade IIRC (my husband was a firefighter for a few years).