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Emergency medical dispatchers answer calls from the public and GPs, requesting an ambulance.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
1.9% fewer Emergency medical dispatcher jobs in 2029.
In your local area
As an emergency medical dispatcher, you could:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work in a control room.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a college course to improve your IT skills or complete a qualification in customer service. These skills are important in this job.
Courses are widely available and include:
You could apply to do an Emergency Contact Handler Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
This takes around 1 year to complete and combines on-the-job training with learning off site.
You could join an ambulance service and work as a patient transport service (PTS) call handler. They organise non-emergency patient transfers to and from healthcare appointments.
Learn more about the role of patient transport service (PTS) call handlers from Health Careers.
You might then move into an emergency medical dispatcher role through training and promotion.
You'll find it helpful to have some healthcare experience before applying for a job.
You could:
You can apply directly to your local ambulance service for jobs.
Each service sets their own entry requirements, but it could help your application if you have:
You'll need to:
You'll be expected to understand how the NHS values would apply to your work.
You can find out more about how to become an emergency medical dispatcher from Health Careers.
With experience, you could become a team leader or control room superintendent.
You could also do further training to become an emergency care assistant, paramedic or training officer.
You could use your skills to work as a call handler-dispatcher for other emergency services, such as the fire or police service.