Inspirational Story

What does it mean to be the Regional Allied Health Professions (AHP) Workforce Lead?

The primary function of HEE and my role is to provide strategic professional expertise and services to support the development of the current and future workforce in the NEY.

My role aligns to my values and passion in being able to lead/ drive transformational change through collaboration, innovation, and motivation to create transformational and sustainable change that benefits the workforce and patients.

What was your journey to becoming a paramedic?

The journey to this role has been diverse and challenging but most importantly it’s been rewarding and exciting!

My aspiration to become a Paramedic was ignited at the age of 19yrs when I first joined the Ambulance Service as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher responsible for taking 999 calls from the public.

As part of my training, we spent time with operational Ambulance crews so that we could gain an insight into what happened when they arrived and we ended the call – within the first hour of my first shift I was hooked, I knew that this was the job for me!

I quickly secured a place on the paramedic degree apprenticeship course and wore my ‘student paramedic epaulets’ with both pride and fear that before long I would be the Paramedic. However, this fear was short lived as I was (still am) supported by an amazing network of Ambulance colleagues across the breadth of the service.

What has your career journey looked like since qualifying?

Once registered I moved into the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) as an Operational Paramedic and then onto a Clinical Supervisor/ Team Leader where I developed a further passion for supporting colleagues through education and leadership as I believe (still do!) that our workforce deserves the same care, compassion, and support that we provide our patients, as this enables them to thrive and deliver excellent patient centred care.

I cherished my time in HART and gained a multitude of skills and experiences that propelled me into the next stage of my career which focused on leadership.

From HART, I secured a place on the HEE Future Leader’s Programme as a Clinical Leadership Fellow which has led to system and regional level leadership roles.

What do you love about being a paramedic?

What I love about my career is the diversity of opportunities and roles that I’ve undertaken and the ability to say that I’ve enjoyed every stage.

Not all Paramedics wear green, but our underpinning resilience, analytical and effective problem-solving/ reasoning skills, and desire to help never goes – it’s what enables us to move into other roles/ sectors and thrive, no matter what the challenge.

I will always be proud to be a Paramedic and would encourage anyone to join our profession as there is a universe of opportunities that you can explore through the entirety of your career.