Overseas NHS Workers Day

Yorkshire Ambulance Service is celebrating Overseas NHS Workers Day (Friday 1 March) to recognise the outstanding contribution of our colleagues who have migrated to the UK to work at the Trust.

Over the last two years we have carried out an international recruitment drive to employ paramedics and senior clinical advisors from India, Australia and New Zealand, to supplement those recruited within the UK.

This has resulted in 55 newly-qualified paramedics (NQPs) joining YAS from Australia and New Zealand, working out of stations in Leeds, Sheffield and Hull. A further group of nine NQPs from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne will arrive on 9 March and will be based at Hull East and Hull West ambulance stations.

Gavin Austin, Senior Programme Lead, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “Bringing these paramedics to YAS has been about more than just filling positions; it’s been about weaving a diverse tapestry of skills and compassion that enriches our service. The level of enthusiasm and desire to learn has been amazing to see and work with over the last two years and I look forward to seeing them grow and thrive in the years to come.”

In addition, we have recruited 11 nurses from Kerala in India to work as Senior Clinical Advisors for our NHS 111 service. They have joined us in four groups, the first became fully operational in November 2023, and the final group will arrive on 7 March.

Following completion of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), the nurses began training for NHS Pathways, an eleven-week programme consisting of formal classroom sessions, scenarios, live calls and clinical situation placements with regular assessments.  The training provides candidates with the necessary skills and clinical knowledge to triage NHS 111 calls from the general public.

Karen Cooper, Project Manager – Service Development, Integrated Urgent Care, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to work with the international nurses over the past nine months. They have an unrivalled energy, are always smiling and bring a wealth of experience and knowledge with them which many others have benefitted from.  They are keen to learn new things, including the Yorkshire dialect and we now have them saying ‘Ey up’ when they come in every day!”