Emergency Services: Paramedics

Lord Davies of Coity Excerpts

Wednesday 15th May 2013 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

I agree with the general thesis that the noble Baroness has advanced. As many people as possible should know first aid. That is how we will ensure that we can save more lives, particularly among those who suffer heart attacks in public places.

[Lord Davies of Coity]

Will the Minister address the question asked by the noble Baroness, Lady Gardner? It has been said quite clearly that there are circumstances in which unqualified paramedics attend an emergency call. Does he believe that any unqualified paramedic should be responding to an emergency call?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, the issue here is that they were not unqualified, as I tried to convey. All ambulance trusts in the UK allow student paramedics to work unsupervised, but only after they have had nine months’ operational experience and have passed both a written exam and a clinical practice observation by a qualified assessor. In this case, the London Ambulance Service accepts that, despite their qualifications and experience, the crew did not act in accordance with their training.