Student Paramedics (Bursary Support)

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 27 October 2020.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Joe FitzPatrick Joe FitzPatrick Scottish National Party

It will depend on the content of the report, but there is clearly an interest in that in the Parliament, and it is obviously a good thing if we are all on the same page on this matter, particularly as we are moving towards an election. It sounds like there is universal recognition of the work that paramedics do and the role that they play as part of our health service.

As Liam McArthur said, the paramedic science degree is a new course, and it is a popular one, with initial enquiries suggesting that there are more than five applicants for each place. I reiterate that, while the recruitment of newly qualified paramedics is important, it remains only one part of the planning response that is needed to meet today’s demand on the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Other actions include the recruitment of ambulance technicians and already-qualified paramedics, as well as the further development of the paramedic workforce. Advanced paramedics are being trained with additional clinical skills to support the ambition to ensure that more patients can be treated at home or in a community setting, and to prevent unnecessary accident and emergency admissions. As Mr Halcro Johnston alluded to, that role is particularly important in our island and rural communities.

Mr McArthur specifically mentioned ambulance provision on Orkney. I can advise that the service removed on-call working and moved to 24/7 cover at Kirkwall station in April 2020. I am pleased to be able to confirm that, to support that positive change, the service has recruited two additional A and E staff, who will begin training shortly, and it is in the process of recruiting an additional advanced paramedic to work on the islands. As a result of Covid-19, the service has enhanced its air-transfer capacity to ensure that it has the resources in place to safely transfer patients off the islands to mainland healthcare facilities, should that be required.

Once again, I thank Liam McArthur for bringing this important matter to our attention. I am fully assured that the Ambulance Service is doing all that it can to ensure that it has the appropriate resources in place to meet demand and continue to deliver a high level of emergency and urgent healthcare on Orkney and throughout Scotland.

The Scottish Government is as committed in its support of paramedic science students in Scotland as it is to the Ambulance Service itself, and I look forward to meeting the student campaigners to discuss their concerns in the very near future.

Meeting closed at 19:51.