Emergency care assistant

An Emergency Care Assistant (ECA) is a type of NHS ambulance service worker in the United Kingdom, often used to support paramedics in responding to emergency calls. This frontline staff role was introduced in 2006 as part of the modernisation of NHS emergency ambulances and also to lower costs. By 2011 there were 2000 people working as ECAs in the United Kingdom.

The role is evolving rapidly, and there is variation across the country, although usually the role involves assisting paramedics. ECAs commonly help to transfer patients and may use advanced driving skills. They may carry out basic diagnostic procedures under the direct supervision of a paramedic. The College of Paramedics has said that it expects that ECAs will not be called upon to make complex clinical decisions.

By 2007 there were a range of healthcare professionals who had expressed reservations about the plans to introduce large numbers of ECAs. Unions representing ambulance workers had fears that the workforce changes could lead to an increase in the risk to patients as well as adding to the workload of paramedics.

Each regional ambulance service currently determine its own criteria around what is needed to become an ECA. They are amongst the lowest paid front line staff in the NHS, being paid at an AfC band 3.

Many ambulance services across the United Kingdom have now ceased to recruit further ECAs, and are now focusing on the reemerging role of the Ambulance Technician. Many NHS ambulance services are now offering the opportunity for Technicians to progress onto a Paramedic Science DipHE/FdSc programme.

In 2013 unions had expressed concern about the widespread removal of technician posts in Yorkshire and had written to East Midlands Ambulance Service to ask for the reintroduction of the technician role. In December 2014, after a steep rise in the number of paramedics on long term sick leave suffering stress, Yorkshire said they would be bringing back the technician role, recognising their value in emergency situations.

The role of ambulance technician was being phased out of most UK NHS Ambulance trusts, with those employed within this role being encouraged to commit to the paramedic science degree to qualify them as paramedics, or accept a role as an emergency care assistant. Technicians who opt to apply for the degree will be given the opportunity providing they agree to partake in an access course, though it is not realistic to assume that all technicians will be successful or indeed capable of completing the course due to negative attitude and those who are likely to retire where advanced training will be of no interest.

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Wikipedia