Inspirational Story

What do you do in your role as Project Manager of the West Yorkshire Faculty of Advancing Practice?

As the Project Manager of the West Yorkshire Faculty of Advancing Practice based in Health Education England (HEE), ee provide strategic direction and a coordinated approach to enable Advancing Practice roles such as Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Physician Associates, First Contact Practitioners and Specialist and Advanced Paramedics to be implemented to support the ICB priorities.

How did you hear about the role of a paramedic?

I joined the Ambulance Service in 2005 as a Control Room Assistant taking 999 calls and went on to be a Student Paramedic in 2008 after the Bradley Report was published.

What has your career journey looked like since qualifying as a paramedic?

I have held various posts including working on frontline ambulances and Rapid Response Vehicles, Senior Clinical Advisor in the Emergency Operations Centre, Senior Clinical Floorwalker for NHS11 and Major Trauma Coordinator.

In 2018 I undertook a short secondment as a Clinical Manager (Quality) which sparked an interest in patient safety, investigations, governance and medicines management.

The following year I secured a place on the HEE Future Leader’s Programme as a Clinical Leadership Fellow in the North School of Pharmacy & Medicines Optimisation (NSPMO) leading on a project to reduce patient harm through medicines errors in care homes. I was, and still am the only paramedic to date to have worked in NSPMO which makes me very proud!

What was the next step after the Clinical Leadership Fellow post?

After returning to the Ambulance Service in the first wave of the pandemic where I worked in the Senior Clinical Support Cell and as a Clinical Practice Developer in the Emergency Operations Centre, I started a second Fellowship as the North East and Yorkshire Regional AHP Fellow working with the Integrated Care System AHP Faculties on workforce issues and challenges across the North East & Yorkshire Region.

When did you start working in the post you are in now?

I left the Ambulance Service in April 2021 to start my current position with the West Yorkshire Faculty of Advancing Practice.

As I am still a registered Paramedic our Faculty takes a lead for Advancing Practice in the Ambulance Services covering the North East & Yorkshire Region.

Last year I had a short secondment as Interim Paramedic Quality Lead for the HEE East of England Quality & Commissioning Team working to improve the Practice Learning Environment for Paramedic Students.

What do you love about being a paramedic?

Paramedic Education remains a passion of mine and I have loved delivering sessions as a Guest Lecturer at two of the region’s universities.

I am proud to have been part of the working group at the College of Paramedics for International Paramedics Day and involved in the development of the University of Huddersfield’s MSc Paramedic Science (Pre-registration) programme so I will be celebrating International Paramedic’s Day at their Paramedic Picnic.

I might not be as ‘hands on’ clinically as I used to be, but I am #ProudToBeAParamedic and would recommend it as a career. Afterall, #NotAllParamedicsWearGreen!