Our control rooms are also known as Emergency Operations Centres (or EOCs). As the hub of the ambulance service, they are a fast-paced and exciting environment.
Staff in our EOCs are responsible for three critically important areas of the service:
Emergency Medical Advisors - Answering 999 calls and providing immediate emergency medical advice.
Clinical Assessment Team (CAT) - Triaging complex 999 calls and arranging appropriate help.
Dispatch Team - Dispatching ambulances to people who need emergency medical help.
On average our Emergency Operations Centres receive a new 999 call every 25 seconds.
Emergency Medical Advisor (999 call handler)
Our Emergency Medical Advisors (EMAs; formerly known as Emergency Medical Dispatchers) answer 999 calls from members of the public and other emergency services.
Using a computer system called NHS Pathways, you will ask the caller a series of structured questions about the clinical condition of the patient. The information you record will help a Dispatcher to allocate an appropriate response (for instance, an ambulance or a fast response car).
In some cases, you will provide emergency life-saving medical advice over the phone, such as instructing the caller in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This helps to manage the patient’s condition until help arrives.
Apply to be an Emergency Medical Advisor at EMAS
We are regularly recruiting Emergency Medical Advisors to our Control Rooms in Nottingham and Lincoln. Check our current vacancies.
GCSE (or equivalent) in English - Grade C or above / Grade 4 – 9
You do not need any previous healthcare or medical training. All new EMAs receive full training before commencing their role.
To be an Emergency Medical Advisor, you should:
Have experience of working with the general public and a wide range of people.
Be confident using a computer.
Be resilient, reliable, friendly, caring.
Be committed to providing excellent healthcare and enjoy working with people.
You do not need any medical or healthcare experience to train to be an Emergency Medical Advisor. You will receive full training and mentoring, including 11-12 weeks of classroom learning. Within this time, you will work some weekend shifts taking 999 calls supported by a mentor.
All applications for jobs at East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust must be submitted via Trac. Sign in or create an account to get started.
Tony was an executive headteacher before he retrained as an Emergency Medical Advisor for EMAS. Tony wanted to feel like he was helping people on a daily basis, while also working as part of a big team.
"I’d always wanted to be a paramedic, but I couldn’t afford to go back to university to retrain. The best part of this job is being on the end of the phone in someone’s darkest moment and having the privilege to be kind, compassionate, and find a way to help them."
Tony Warsop - Emergency Medical Advisor
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Clinical Advisors work within the Clinical Assessment Team (CAT) as registered healthcare professionals, providing telephone triage for clinically complex cases received via 999 calls.
You will triage the health and clinical needs of each patient using both your clinical knowledge and specialist decision-support software. You will support patients with access to medication, at-home healthcare, and arrange appropriate additional care.
We advertise vacancies for Clinical Advisors on a need-by-need basis.
Registered with an appropriate regulatory body (eg HCPC, NMC) with current valid registration
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
A high level of clinical reasoning
Able to deal sensitively with distressing, emotional situations
Work with a variety of clinical specialists to ensure safe clinical processes for patients
The ability to make quick safe clinical decisions under pressure
Undertake referrals to internal and external clinicians
“This job gives me a better work-life balance. I finish my shifts on time, I have a rota so I can plan my life, and can commit to picking my children up from their after-school activities.
I love that I’m in a position where I can fix things for patients. I can help them by requesting a district nurse for a blocked catheter, or a service which can provide specialist help such as linking in crisis teams and helplines for mental health patients. People call 999 because they or their loved one is in pain and they are panicked and frightened. I can reassure them and help them to access the treatment they need.”
Cate Barron - Clinical Advisor (CAT Nurse)
Dispatch Officer
Dispatchers are responsible for dispatching ambulances and other resources to incidents (including Urgent Care, Community First Responders, Air Ambulance Teams, and Hazardous Area Response Team). They work closely with Emergency Medical Advisors and CAT. They also liaise with ambulance crews and other emergency services.
You will need to think logically and tactically as you manage a workload that changes by the second. You must be able to multitask and manage tasks with competing priorities. You could be assigning an ambulance to a patient who has fallen or sending multiple resources to a cardiac arrest.
We advertise vacancies for Dispatch Officers on a need-by-need basis.
GCSE grades C/4-9 or equivalent in Maths and English
Competent in the use of IT systems
Customer service experience from a telephone or face to face role
Ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities
Good written and verbal communication skills
Ability to listen and record information accurately
"Working at EMAS feels like you are part of a family. People here always stop and speak to you and are there for you if you need help, even if you’ve never spoken to them before.
My friends always ask how I manage the emergency calls when people are in the greatest need, but these are the jobs that I love. I love that when I answer the call I am the first responder on any scene and am there to help."
