The East of England Ambulance Service has made an urgent call for 1,000 temporary workers and volunteers - to help cope with “unprecedented demand” during the coronavirus outbreak.
So far, 191 people have tested positive for the illness in Suffolk, while across the country 47,806 have officially contracted the virus.
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On Sunday more than 6,000 were confirmed as having Covid-19 - but with routine testing discontinued, the actual figure is believed to be much higher.
The huge number of cases has put pressure on all parts of the NHS, with new hospitals being built at the ExCel Centre in London and the NEC in Birmingham to cope with demand.
But paramedics are at the forefront of dealing with the pandemic, from treating people in their homes to taking them to hospital for more specialist care.
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As such, the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) says it needs to recruit 1,000 temporary workers and volunteers “urgently” and immediately, saying it is “due to unprecedented demands caused by the COVID-19 pandemic”.
Dorothy Hosein, EEAST chief executive, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic is testing the NHS and the East of England Ambulance Service more than ever before.
“We are at the forefront of responding to the pandemic and helping our communities through this difficult time.
“We are expanding our temporary worker and volunteer service hugely to meet this demand and have a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical roles available.
“If you are able to join us and be part of our vital work, then please contact us.”
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EEAST is looking for people with:
? Medical experience as a paramedic, nurse, healthcare support worker or even recent first-aid training to work in a variety of clinical and clinical support roles
? C1 driving licences who would be interested in driving patient transport vehicles or moving vehicles between sites (band 2 or 3).
? Five GCSEs at grades A-C to work as call handlers/dispatchers (band 3)
? A willingness to fulfil other support roles such as ambulance cleaning, general cleaning, and administration (bands 2-4).
For paid work, email here outlining the type of role you’re interested in and relevant experience and qualifications.
For volunteer roles, email here.
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