Latest news from HART

Sign up for HART e-news

Get HART e-news in your inbox

Selection information

Interested in applying but feeling daunted by the application process?

Want to know more about what is involved in selection and why?

Working in the ‘hot zone’ or inner cordon, facing hazards such as chemical or biological agents, or collapsed structures, darkness, high temperatures etc is not something ambulance personnel have routinely undertaken in the past.

Until now casualties have been brought out to waiting ambulance personnel by fire crews, to a ‘place of safety’ where triage and treatment could begin. However, it is now recognised that it is critical that ambulance staff are able to have fast access to casualties. This gives emergency ambulance professionals a new and exciting opportunity to play a central role in major incidents and hopefully save more lives.

A national group of experts and union representatives have been developing the new role and all that is needed to support it, and the Department of Health and NHS Ambulance Trusts are putting the safety of employees at the centre of their planning.

If you join your local HART team you will be given all the necessary training, equipment and back-up to allow you to provide clinical intervention at the scene. The recruitment and selection process for these roles has therefore been designed with input from ambulance professionals and other experts to ensure, as far as possible, that those individuals who are picked to be part of the team are resilient, competent and capable of working effectively in such environments.

We are not looking for ‘super-humans’ or ‘macho-mavericks’ and we are not creating ‘elite teams’. We are looking for level headed, motivated, team players who are ready to do something different in the way we provide care to our patients.

The selection process will look to see:

a) How physically fit you are - would you be safe working in high levels of PPE, carrying heavy breathing apparatus on your back? Do you have any medical conditions that would put you at additional risk?

b) How mentally resilient you are - how would you face entering a hazardous area that poses risks to your own health and wellbeing? Could you work in darkness, in cramped spaces or at height and take difficult decisions under pressure and cope with the consequences? How might we avoid any potential development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

c) What your preferred work style is and how you put learning and experience into practice.

We have a duty to protect our employees and that is why we have developed this careful selection process – it is for your protection.

Whilst it may look daunting and more thorough than any selection process you have been through before for the ambulance service, it has been designed to help you demonstrate your capabilities and work preferences in a way that is very relevant to this job, as well as identify any specific reasons why it may not be safe for you to work in this particular role.

It will also help us identify how we can contribute to your personal development whilst at work. So don’t be put off by the process – it is there to protect you not frighten you!

When your Trust begins recruiting for your local HART team, if you think this could be a role for you, talk to your HR team, have a read through the Applicant Information Pack which explains what factors we consider and why when selecting people and complete the Self-Assessment Questionnaire.

You might want to talk to those already in these roles – if you don’t know how to go about this, contact Hilary Pillin, HART Programme Manager who will be able to put you in touch or answer any questions you may have.

Back to top