Emergency medical dispatcher

Emergency medical dispatchers answer calls from the public and GPs, requesting an ambulance.

Also known as: Emergency call handler, ambulance dispatcher

• Starter salary£26,000 a year
• Experienced£31,000 a year
• Typical hours37 to 42 a week

What you'll do

As an emergency medical dispatcher, you could:

• respond to emergency calls and online requests for help
• collect details of what's happened, the patient's condition and their location
• reassure the caller and keep them calm
• give first aid advice to people facing life-threatening situations
• decide which crew and vehicles to dispatch based on the situation
• contact the vehicle crew and pass on essential information
• update computer records for each incident, as more details come in

Working environment

You could work in a control room.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• customer service skills
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• excellent verbal communication skills
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• sensitivity and understanding
• the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
• knowledge of public safety and security
• administration skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

How to become a emergency medical dispatcher

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role
• applying directly

College

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:

• customer service
• contact centre operations
• International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL)

Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements for this route.

Apprenticeship

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.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Work

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.

Volunteering

You'll find it helpful to get some health or social care experience before applying for a job. For example, you could volunteer with:

• the NHS
• the British Red Cross
• St John Ambulance

You can also find opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and Do it .

Direct application

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:

• GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English, maths and science
• experience in customer service, like a call centre operator
• map reading skills and knowledge of local geography
• an understanding of medical terminology
• a recognised and current first aid qualification

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

• be over 18 years of age
• pass background checks

Career path and progression

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.

Career tips

You would be expected to have an understanding of how the NHS values would apply in your work.

Guides for this industry

• Health & Social Care: pay, interviews and getting started →

Related roles

• Job roleEmergency care assistant
• Job roleHealthcare assistant
• Job roleParamedic
• Job roleAmbulance care assistant
• Job roleCustomer service assistant

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0