Accts Critical Care Transfer Driver/assistant

Are you the sort of driver whose passengers arrive calm and refreshed, almost unaware that they have been travelling? Do you take a pride in always being on hand to support colleagues with whatever is needed?

Adult Critical Care Transfer Service (ACCTS) Cymru is a road-based service developed to ensure the uninterrupted provision of critical care for adult patients requiring inter-facility transfer; for uplift of care and tertiary specialty input, planned repatriation back to their local facility and to support network-wide management of critical care capacity. ACCTS is commissioned to complement the existing EMRTS teams, who will continue to provide pre-hospital critical care and time-critical / aeromedical inter-facility transfers.

We are seeking to recruit critical care transfer assistants who will form a crucial part of our critical care transfer teams, taking on a combined driving and healthcare support worker role. As a current emergency ambulance driver with an interest in undertaking a varied role, you’ll receive ongoing training in medical equipment preparedness and develop an active involvement at the bedside in the preparation of critically ill patients for safe transfer. As a vital member of a small team alongside a retrieval and transfer physician and practitioner, you’ll support the team in all aspects of their work by ensuring that their needs and those of the patient are met at all times, by anticipation and preparedness as your experience grows.

This is a developmental role, commencing with undertaking operational, driving and maintenance duties, then expanding into an assistant role within the critical care transfer team as the individual develops knowledge and skills in this area.

Driving duties will include daily vehicle inspection and ensuring readiness for operations, with clear communications through the duty operational manager or critical care hub to swiftly report any defects or issues. The ability to plan an efficient and smooth journey between hospitals is important. Training for driving under emergency (‘blue light’) conditions will be provided if required in partnership with our colleagues at Welsh Ambulance Service.

Experience of critical care transfer in Wales has shown that employing an individual to drive the transfer vehicle who is also skilled and experienced in supporting the transfer team clinicians to manage and package patients prior to transfer increases service and network efficiency. Full training will be provided in this regard, with initial equipment and process familiarisation during induction, then ongoing training in the clinical setting under the supervision of the retrieval and transfer physician and practitioner.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

We believe staff are our best asset and we want you to be happy and confident about starting your career here in Swansea Bay University Health Board.

As one of the biggest healthcare groups in the UK we can offer a wealth of professional training and development opportunities in an innovative, forward-thinking organisation.

You might be a nurse or doctor, maybe you specialise in a health science/therapy or can offer skills in one of our support services - we have a job for you.

There are also apprenticeships, work placements and volunteering roles available.

Our values - Caring For Each Other, Working Together and Always Improving, show that our commitment to equality is at the heart of everything we do.

If you want excellent career and training opportunities while living on the doorstep of some of Europe's most spectacular scenery, with all the benefits of a thriving and cosmopolitan city - look no further.

Our bespoke critical care transfer vehicles will fall into category C1, so you’ll need a proven track record of handling vehicles (ideally ambulances) in this category, as well as an exemplary driving record.

Extensive experience of ambulance operations and equipment is also essential.

An understanding of the interplay of technical and non-technical skills complements the critical care transfer assistant skillset. The successful applicant will clearly demonstrate how they actively incorporate non-technical skills, also referred to as human factors, into their day-to-day practice. The transfer environment is potentially hazardous, even for an experienced team who regularly work and train together within a well-designed system; stress, fatigue, motion and increased background noise are unavoidable factors which can contribute to impaired decision making and increased risk to patient safety.