Employing Paramedics in Primary Care
Paramedics have been working in primary care for many years in roles ranging from early home visiting to advanced practice. After three years post qualification Paramedics are able to undertake a non-medical prescribing programme, which enables them to broaden their scope of practice even more and thus reduce the patient burden on GPs.
Paramedic Scope
Health Education England (HEE) has produced a framework which defines the capabilities of paramedics working in the primary and urgent care sectors which can be accessed here.
Is there any recruitment funding available to Primary Care Networks?
This is a role that is included in the Additional Roles Recruitment Scheme from April 2021. Primary Care Networks may therefore be able to access funding via the CCG to cover salary and on-costs. We have now received details about core responsibilities and training requirements as well as reimbursement amounts. You can find out more about the scheme and workforce planning by contacting the GP Forward View Leads who work with the CCG’s Primary Care Team and by referring to the information in the links below:
- Update to the GP contract agreement – NHS England
- Network Contract DES Specification 2023-24 – NHS England
- Supporting General Practice – BMA
First Contact and Advanced Practice Pathway – In January 2021, HEE produced guidance on the First Contact Practice and Advanced Practice pathways for paramedics which can be accessed here.
Funding for Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Investment in CPD for paramedics in primary care for 2020–2023 was initially announced in the NHS Long Term Plan. The funding is held by the Training Hub on your behalf.
An amount of money roughly equivalent to £1,000 per eligible staff member working in each practice (based on the 2019 staffing levels) has been allocated to be spent over that period on CPD requirements. The funding cannot be used for backfill or administrative costs.
Ideally you will already have identified your CPD needs through an annual appraisal process with your line manager. We have asked practices to give the Training Hub an idea of your CPD needs so we can ensure that suitable training is commissioned/available to meet your needs and also so we can use the CPD funding appropriately and fairly.
Contact the Training Hub on bswicb.traininghub@nhs.net if you have any questions.
Support is available
- BSW Training Hub now employs a paramedic to support GPs practices and paramedics themselves in the BSW region that are working in the primary care sector. Please find contact details below: Jim Petter: jim.petter@nhs.net Jim is available for advice and guidance around employing paramedics, scope of practice, CPD and also Health Education England’s new First Contact Practitioner (FCP) and Advanced Practitioner (AP) pathways.
- Please see also our ‘BSW CCG Primary Care Paramedics’ Facebook page which is especially for primary care paramedics in the BSW region, where information and various CPD opportunities will be published regularly.
- Please see here for the South West Paramedics in Primary Care survey report.