2010 HSE Ambulance Service Recruitment

sgthighway · 22-03-2010 2:39am #1

Does anybody within the existing service think there will be NEW recruitment for PTS Staff or Frontline Ambulance Staff in 2010. Lost my job and I need to sit down and think of all possible senarios. I have the EMT, C1 & D1 but need to think is there a potential of a career in the HSE in the next 12-18 months. I tried once about 15 years ago but got into another career but have good experience and a lot of PCRs completed as an EMT throught Vol/Private Bodies. Surley the Govt has to put money into it or is that easier said than done. Are Unions holding up any PTS Service?

Elessar · 22-03-2010 11:52am

I'm in the same boat. If the HSE doesn't recruit this year I seriously have to consider moving to the UK.

A connected friend of mine rang manorhamilton to ask about recruitment. What he was told was that they have not received any instruction from the NAS to start a new recruitment campaign this year. They still have a panel to recruit from if needed. However this panel expires in May. Again, they haven't received any notice from the NAS but who knows, that may change come May.

There's a lot of rumors floating about, who owns all those brand new PTS ambulances parked up on Mercedes on the Long Mile Road? And are they going to be used? Will the NAS finally be splitting the PTS and Frontline work, and recruiting for same? Is it true that UCD won't accept anyone in Paramedic training anymore without a leaving cert? Thus requiring a new recruitment campaign?

We'll know closer to May/June.

DubMedic · 22-03-2010 8:14pm

It is, and always has been, a waiting game.

London Ambulance are recruiting at the moment as far as I know, if you're interested?.

medic780 · 29-03-2010 12:13am

DubMedic wrote: »

It is, and always has been, a waiting game.

London Ambulance are recruiting at the moment as far as I know, if you're interested?.

NIAS are still recruiting at the moment if anyone is interested.

Elessar · 30-03-2010 4:48pm

DubMedic wrote: »

It is, and always has been, a waiting game.

London Ambulance are recruiting at the moment as far as I know, if you're interested?.

I think that is finished now. The UK is moving in the same direction Ireland should be: soon enough you'll only be able to work as a Paramedic if you have a Paramedic degree.

Future direct entry to the national ambulance service requiring a 3 or 4 year degree in paramedic science, resulting in graduate APs? One can dream. Course, I doubt the unions or old-school NAS staff would like this. It's all a closed shop.

Anyway, it's all still a waiting game.

medic780 · 31-03-2010 8:16pm

Hey guys any of ye heard rumours that the HSE will be recruiting during april???

darragh o meara · 31-03-2010 9:36pm

medic780 wrote: »

Hey guys any of ye heard rumours that the HSE will be recruiting during april???

Yes I heard April recruitment but in saying that I also spoke to a trainee currently on his block release to the hospital and he seems to be under the impression that there will be no contracts for him and his class when they finish training

murf313 · 31-03-2010 9:53pm

Darragh O Meara wrote: »

Yes I heard April recruitment but in saying that I also spoke to a trainee currently on his block release to the hospital and he seems to be under the impression that there will be no contracts for him and his class when they finish training

there are no trainees currently on hospital placements. class 07/09 are on 12 week undergraduate ambulance placements. why would they be training us if they were not going to hire us afterwards? dont believe every thing you hear....... also if there was to be a class in april they would be notified by now. 8 weeks notice and all that! hopefully the guys on the panel will hear something soon!

Boot Leg Mick · 31-03-2010 10:29pm

come on guys.

They aint gonna be recruiting anybody to do anything for a long long time in Ireland.

Come to UK,

http://www.jobisjob.co.uk/student-paramedic/jobs

sedgley · 21-04-2010 4:25am

I heard from a panelist that the panel is being disbanded as a result of the HSE's rethinking the "good standard of general education" requirement.

Elessar mentioned about UCD's Leaving Cert requirement; perfectly understandable pre-requisite for students going onto a clinical course IMO and I think that it should be a minimum requirement.

As much as I feel for anyone who has gone through the recruitment process just to be left hanging, it seems to have been done arseways by the HSE in the first place so it would probably be best to start with a blank canvas IMO.

medic780 · 21-04-2010 10:20am

sedgley wrote: »

I heard from a panelist that the panel is being disbanded as a result of the HSE's rethinking the "good standard of general education" requirement.
"good standard of general education" Do you know what the requirments will be eg. leaving cert with a science subject or just a leaving cert?

21-04-2010 4:18pm

Aparently its leaving cert + a science subject.

My mate on the course in inchicore were in nasc on monday training and they were told the director of nasc that he had brought up equivalancy of the course with Ucd and they will accept it as a "science subject" but that the LC is still required in addition to this.

His advice to some of the older students who never did the LC was to go back and do their LC in the evenings.

medic780 · 21-04-2010 5:22pm

eireal wrote: »

Aparently its leaving cert + a science subject.

My mate on the course in inchicore were in nasc on monday training and they were told the director of nasc that he had brought up equivalancy of the course with Ucd and they will accept it as a "science subject" but that the LC is still required in addition to this.

His advice to some of the older students who never did the LC was to go back and do their LC in the evenings.

Thats a bit of a pain really as I have my leaving cert done and passed but no science subject and it's to late in the year to go back and do one now although I have alot of first aid courses done and passed so maybe they might take them into consideration who knows!!!!

21-04-2010 5:36pm

I guess it all boils down to UCD's idea of equivilancy. They may accept the EMT course as equivilant to a science subject, but it's hard to know seen as the above course I mentioned is a year long inc 30 day's placement's but yet it only counts as a science subject equivalant whereas people on it actually presumed it would cover them *instead* of the leaving cert with it being Fetac level 5

sedgley · 22-04-2010 12:40am

I agree with the Leaving cert + science subject requirement, if it is true. Its a foundation of past academic achievement and the completion of second level education, afterall you are going to third level (UCD) for the paramedic course...

emtlfc · 22-04-2010 12:49pm

I think it would be very unfair to disband the current panel on the grounds of these educational requirements. If i was on the panel i'd be absolutely livid and gutted. Why not let the current panel run it's course and then introduce the new educational requirements for future recruitment campaigns? After all there is plenty of top quality paramedics out there without the LC.

sedgley · 22-04-2010 5:56pm

emtlfc wrote: »

I think it would be very unfair to disband the current panel on the grounds of these educational requirements. If i was on the panel i'd be absolutely livid and gutted. Why not let the current panel run it's course and then introduce the new educational requirements for future recruitment campaigns? After all there is plenty of top quality paramedics out there without the LC.

And plenty of incompetent clowns along with them...

murf313 · 22-04-2010 6:05pm

sedgley wrote: »

And plenty of incompetent clowns along with them...

wow for some one who wants to be a paramedic in NAS your not having a great start are you?
:rolleyes:

DubMedic · 22-04-2010 8:24pm

sedgley wrote: »

And plenty of incompetent clowns along with them...

Good luck with the interview.

I'm sure it will go your way. You obviously have a lot of confidence in your potential colleagues.

emtlfc · 23-04-2010 9:42am

From my experience incompetent paramedics have been few and far between. Are you saying that the introduction of the leaving cert requirement will eradicate incompetency?

paraletic · 23-04-2010 1:09pm

sedgley wrote: »

And plenty of incompetent clowns along with them...

:eek: i hope that was a bad joke!!!!!

sedgley · 23-04-2010 2:40pm

paraletic wrote: »

:eek: i hope that was a bad joke!!!!!

I hope you don't fall into that category paraletic!!

sedgley · 23-04-2010 2:49pm

But there are, as in any job, incompetent people. I'm not pointing fingers or anything, the vast majority of health board paramedics are good guys, but there are inevitably dreamers, egotists and shoe-ins. Thats all I was saying.

DubMedic · 23-04-2010 3:04pm

sedgley wrote: »

But there are, as in any job, incompetent people. I'm not pointing fingers or anything, the vast majority of health board paramedics are good guys, but there are inevitably dreamers, egotists and shoe-ins. Thats all I was saying.

Health board? you're a little out of date there buddy.

Just because there may be a select few who do not display the characteristics you would like them to, does not mean you get to tar the entire HSE/NAS with a big fat brush.

Just because a Paramedic/EMT may look like they wouldn't be up to the challenge, does not mean that you can simply go out and make statements like that. Don't judge a book by it's cover. Surely you would know that as an EMT.

paraletic · 24-04-2010 2:53pm

sedgley wrote: »

But there are, as in any job, incompetent people. I'm not pointing fingers or anything, the vast majority of health board paramedics are good guys, but there are inevitably dreamers, egotists and shoe-ins. Thats all I was saying.

when i said:
- i hope that was a bad joke!

you should have just said:
- yeah, sorry!

stop digging!;)

medic780 · 28-04-2010 10:18am

"June 1st is the date given to management today for the end of on call. We will not be doing any on call after that. Lets see what happens" got this from abolish ambulance on call page on facebook, if management accept this does this mean that they will have to recruit more????

Seaman999 · 25-05-2010 7:49pm

I have seen a big van over the past few weeks arounf the midlands area-(not an ambo but a big green and white mercedes van) that has AMBULANCE TRAINING UNIT on it and the Phecc logo on the back doors. Is there a pts training course going on somewhere either private or public. There are different people driving it -it was two blokes the last time, and a most easy on the eye blonde today;) I'm waiting for the next HSE paramedic recruitment but if there was a driving course i might do it-handy for the experince/interview.Any ideas folks?

murf313 · 25-05-2010 9:13pm

That's paramedic class seven on the driving course. There's a different 3 people on it each week until we are all done. First two days are spent driving the van then we progress to the cen sprinter ambo. Ps il let the blonde know your interested lol

Seaman999 · 03-06-2010 3:21pm

thanks for the heads up.my mate on the existing 2009 panel is now off of it as he hasnt got his leaving cert never mind with a science subject-neither have i-i did my junior cert but took a trade after, and nothin moving there at the minute.so no hope in applying for the next hse round even if there was going to be one..fairly gutted now tbh:(-thought it would be easy enough to get in on interview alone rather than brains( even the blonde did it- only jokin wimmin...!) but they seem to be making it more like a medical course now-my dad did the job years ago, and goes back to his old station every now and then- but said most of the students have already been to college and have DEGREES, nvr mind a leaving cert, so the course must be very very hard. so- back to the dole i think for me.:(

sgthighway · 03-06-2010 4:30pm

HSE looking for PHECC Registered Paramedics

http://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/jobs/Patient_and_Client_Care/NRS0139%20EMT.html

Patrick11 · 13-07-2010 2:49pm

Hi Everyone,

I'm absoutely gutted. My partner was no. 30 on the existing 2009/10 panel for EMT. He was notified last week that he is now dormant on the panel as he doesn't meet the new eligibility criteria. He does not have a leaving certificate as he took up a trade following his junior certificate and achieved an electrical science level 6 Fetac Advanced Certificate which under the National Qualification framework equates higher than a leaving certificate. We are both absoutely gutted over this and do not understand why a National Qualification framework exists in the first place if it is not adhered to and recognised within the HSE Recruitment Sector. I myself am a public servant and cannot understand the reasoning behind this decision. Anyone have any answers.

Elessar · 13-07-2010 2:57pm

Patrick11 wrote: »

Hi Everyone,

I'm absoutely gutted. My partner was no. 30 on the existing 2009/10 panel for EMT. He was notified last week that he is now dormant on the panel as he doesn't meet the new eligibility criteria. He does not have a leaving certificate as he took up a trade following his junior certificate and achieved an electrical science level 6 Fetac Advanced Certificate which under the National Qualification framework equates higher than a leaving certificate. We are both absoutely gutted over this and do not understand why a National Qualification framework exists in the first place if it is not adhered to and recognised within the HSE Recruitment Sector. I myself am a public servant and cannot understand the reasoning behind this decision. Anyone have any answers.

I'm really sorry to hear this Patrick11. I can't imagine how frustrating and disappointing it must be to get through all the hoops onto a panel to become an ambulance service Paramedic only to be told you can't do it because of new requirements!

All I can say is that this is a requisite put in place by UCD who award the Diploma, and not the HSE. They require all their students now to have the LC. From what I have heard, UCD won't even recognise FETAC Level 5 certs instead, but you might get more answers by ringing them.

http://ucd.webdirect.ie/dip_gradip.htm

Let us know what they have to say if you do ring them.

Patrick11 · 13-07-2010 3:45pm

Thanks for that Elessar. I got in touch with UCD so hopefully we will finally get some clarity on what exactly is the academic equivalent to the leaving certificate requirement. I wonder have they set the academic equivalent themselves under thier own entry requirements or is it within the national framework or the NUI entry requirements. If nothing else will be interesting to see.

Patrick11 · 13-07-2010 5:03pm

Hi Everyone,

Got in touch with UCD. The educational equivalent to the leaving certificate requirement is British/Northern A Levels. No other Irish Academic qualification bar a leaving certificate will gain you entry to this course.

This recruitment campaign has been dragging on now for nearly 2 years. I don't have any particular grievence in UCD looking for a leaving certificate as an entry requirement but in all fairness if they had informed everyone 2 years ago a lot of the candidates on the existing panel who do not have the educational requirements could have had their leaving cert completed by this stage. What good is receiving a letter saying that you are now dormant on a panel that we all know is going to expire anyday now on the flick of a pen. Being dormant on a panel ain't going to pay the mortgage

Sorry for the rant just totally raging with the entire system and the way this was all handled. Better to have expired the panel last September when they had enrolled their first class than to carry on this fiasco of changing entry requirements at the last minute for those who were not lucky enough to get into the first class and hanging on for months in the hope of securing a place on the second class. Disgraceful and may I add typical of the country we are all living in now.

medicfar · 13-07-2010 6:25pm

it a joke if i was was told about the leaving in september i would have the leaving done this year.the last letter i got from the hse telling me i was on the panel and being on the panel ment all i had to do was pass the medical and garda clearance and i was in . it looks like they wanted to cut the panel .hse and ucd have a monopoly on the training and education for emt and paramedic which will get a career at the end of everything, at less in other country you can in other ways but here,s a joke .

BIDMU0 · 09-08-2010 1:33pm

Hey everyone, I hear the HSE is planning on running a recruitment drive for people to train up to paramedic level in September again. I am very interested in applying for this but I was wondering would anyone who has gone through the process be able to answer a few questions for me that i haven't been able to get answered so far?
I hear there are several stages to the application including apptitude testing, psych profiling and interview etc... How long roughly does the whole thing take from application to, hopefully, finding out you are on the panel?
Also when the course itself runs, does it start in september with the colleges or is there a notification period to getting on the course? will they say call you and say you are starting in a few weeks?

coolmoose · 10-08-2010 2:12am

BIDMU0 wrote: »

How long roughly does the whole thing take from application to, hopefully, finding out you are on the panel?
Also when the course itself runs, does it start in september with the colleges or is there a notification period to getting on the course? will they say call you and say you are starting in a few weeks?

The whole process takes a couple of months from advertisement to being informed of a panel number. Back when I applied it was advertised in Jul, applications in by Aug, aptitude tests end of Sept, results end of Oct, interviews were in Nov, and took first class into training from this panel start of March of the next year. This isn't the usual timeframe, just letting you know that it can take a while.

As regards classes starting, they can begin at any stage of the year as they do not follow the other college timetables (because you are attending the National Ambulance Service College), but you will be given a few weeks notice of this beforehand. The classes generally seem to alternate between NASC West (Ballinasloe) and NASC East (the Park).

civildefence · 20-08-2010 3:10am

Glad I opted for Biology in the Leaving now! Although I don't understand why the Leaving Cert is required for applicants over 23 (mature students) who could potentially train as doctors without it?

Anyway, rumours of new recruitment campaign in September, anyone hear anything?

corky70 · 25-08-2010 6:25pm

I heard september as well for recruitment so fingers crossed

emtally · 26-08-2010 4:13pm

corky70 wrote: »

I heard september as well for recruitment so fingers crossed

here's hoping for that...
i'm an unemployed emt with c1,d1 and a leaving cert equivalent (i hope) done in germany in '85!
...and my chances?

brianon · 06-09-2010 9:29am

Guys. Wife is EMT. In a volunteer ambulance service for over a year now. Has her C1 and in proess of getting D1. Leaving cert and degree. Waiting for a new recruitment process.

Her biggest weakness is the aptitude test. Are there any good books or websites to help or out here ?

emtally · 06-09-2010 11:07am

brianon wrote: »

Guys. Wife is EMT. In a volunteer ambulance service for over a year now. Has her C1 and in proess of getting D1. Leaving cert and degree. Waiting for a new recruitment process.

Her biggest weakness is the aptitude test. Are there any good books or websites to help or out here ?

Hi brianon,
fair play to your mrs...i had the same problems with the aptitude tests. I couldn't find any decent websites, well none that were free anyway, so i looked back at the suggested reading listed on the last recruitment drive and ordered from www.play.com the latest editions of "how to win at aptitude tests", "how to pass selection tests" and "how to succeed in psychometric tests".
If you put theses exact titles in their search box you'll find them no problem. I got them cheap enough and second hand, they were all in excellent condition.
Hope this helps and good luck...
I heard the new drive starts 24th sept...we'll see...

brianon · 06-09-2010 11:16am

Thanks for that. You mentioned a 'suggested reading list'. Is this available anywhere ?

emtally · 06-09-2010 11:39am

no worries...
i found it in the "emt test familiaristion booklet". not sure what year tho...
try and google it...

emtally · 06-09-2010 11:40am

it wasn't a book list as such, it listed those 3 books only...

touge_drift · 06-09-2010 3:35pm

dont laugh but i find brain training for the nintendo ds is very good, its imporved how i do mental arithmatic and calculating things etc...

emtally · 06-09-2010 7:10pm

no laughing matter...yeah that'd help too, as does stuff like reading, sudoku, crosswords and puzzles...in fact the ds has some excellent puzzle titles. the "professor layton" series springs to mind...

darragh o meara · 06-09-2010 7:47pm

One of the aptitude Test prep courses would be well advised. I done one myself last time round and ended up in the top group unfortunately the interview didn't go so well. I'm not gonna name any of the course sippliers but they're easy found if you look

emtally · 07-09-2010 9:27am

what sort of price range would we be talking about?

darragh o meara · 07-09-2010 9:34am

emtally wrote: »

what sort of price range would we be talking about?

I can't remember off hand sorry. Shouldn't be too hard to find out.

brianon · 07-09-2010 11:02am

darragh. Do you remember where or who supplied the courses ? All I can find is <mod snip> one but it takes 6/9 months to deliver.

2010 HSE Ambulance Service Recruitment

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