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South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust; Eastleigh, Basingstoke; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday entitlement 27–33 days + 8 BH

NHS Pension Scheme

Continual professional development

Employee Health & Wellbeing Team

Staff networking groups

Training courses and induction

Job summary

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is seeking Ambulance Care Assistants in Hampshire to support patients travelling to hospital appointments. The role emphasizes compassionate care, patient comfort, and dignity, with hands-on duties including patient transfer and vehicle operation.

Applicants must be physically fit and customer‑facing, with full training provided. The position offers full-time hours (37.5 per week) across early shifts and is based in Hampshire (Eastleigh area).

Qualifications

• You don’t need a medical background—just a genuine desire to help people, excellent communication skills, and patience.
• Physical fitness is essential due to lifting/moving patients and long shifts.
• Willingness to drive and operate ambulance vehicles across Hampshire.

Responsibilities

• Take patients to and from medical appointments and treat them with dignity.
• Move and lift patients using appropriate equipment and techniques.
• Drive a long wheel-base ambulance with manual transmission.
• Work shifts from 05:30 to midnight, with 37.5 hours per week.

Skills

Compassion

Communication

Physical fitness

Teamwork

Tools

Vehicle operation

Job description

Ambulance Care Assistant - Hampshire | South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Company: South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Hours: Full-time

Location: Eastleigh, Basingstoke and Portsmouth, SO50 4ZR

Ambulance Care Assistants Roles in Hampshire

Do you have the compassion to reassure a patient living with dementia on their way to a hospital appointment?

Can you stay calm and focused when traffic threatens to delay your next collection?

Are you resilient enough to support someone coping with a life-limiting illness?

If so, you could be the perfect fit for our team.

Our Ambulance Care Assistants play a vital role in patient care, ensuring every journey is safe, comfortable, and dignified. You’ll provide support and reassurance to patients travelling to and from hospital appointments, treating everyone with kindness and empathy.

This is a hands‑on role that involves:

• Driving patients safely across Hampshire
• Assisting with mobility, including lifting and helping patients into vehicles
• Delivering exceptional care and customer service

You don’t need a medical background—just a genuine desire to help people, excellent communication skills, and patience. Physical fitness is essential, as lifting and moving patients is a key part of the role.

The Role:

• Taking patients to and from their medical appointments and treating them with dignity.
• Moving and lifting patients who need help.
• Driving a long wheel-base vehicle with manual transmission.
• Shift Work. You’ll work a variety of shifts from 0530-midnight, both on your own and with a colleague.
• Full time role is 37.5 hours a week.

The Ambulance Care Assistant (ACA) role is a gateway into the Ambulance Service. People who join as an ACA can go on to be Team Leaders or Managers within their area or move to work in the frontline teams or one of the many supports and corporate teams.

Benefits We Offer:

• Full training and a range of courses which you can book locally.
• Holiday entitlement of 27 days, rising to 29 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years’ service, plus an additional 8 days bank holiday (pro rata for part time).
• Automatic enrolment into the NHS Pension Scheme.
• Access to continual professional development within SCAS and the wider NHS.
• Occupational Health support and direct access to our Employee Assistance Programme as well as our own Health and Wellbeing Team.
• NHS Discounts in over 200 + stores saving money on holidays, days out, car insurance, restaurants, clothing and much more.
• Ability to join our staff networking groups (as a member, ally or just for interest).

Corporate Induction

It’s really important for us to ensure you have the best onboarding experience which allows you to feel a sense of belonging from the start. To help with this, we will book your Corporate Induction as soon as we possibly can (depending on availability).

All new starters need to attend our Corporate Induction in person, this is held over one and half days from our educational centres based in: Newbury (Berkshire), Bicester (Oxfordshire) or Whiteley (Hampshire). More specific details will be sent to you once your start date has been confirmed.

Please note – depending on your role additional training may be required following on from your corporate induction.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• The post holder will be expected to plan their journeys, taking into account patient appointment timings along with the routes they should take, to ensure an efficient and effective service.
• To drive vehicles carefully with every consideration being given to the passenger, any equipment, the vehicle itself, other road users and to comply with Road Traffic Legislation.
• The post holder is required to undertake daily vehicle checks to ensure that the ambulance vehicle is roadworthy; these checks shall include for example, Oil, Water, Fuel, Tyre Pressure and tread condition, Lights, Warning Devices etc.
• To enter any vehicle defects into the vehicle defect book and record on any computerised system as required in accordance with Polices and Procedures.
• To administer ‘ambulance nursing’ to an appropriate skill level in accordance with training received. This will include the administration of Oxygen in accordance with prescribed/clinical guidelines.
• To manoeuvre patients into ambulance vehicles using either the patients wheelchair or the vehicle equipment such as stretcher, wheelchair, carry chairs and secure both patient and equipment within the vehicle using the appropriate equipment as per training received.
• To have the physical ability to use the Moving Patient equipment provided; this will include the use of all types of carrying equipment such as chairs, stretchers lifting aids etc.. This will require to risk assess the best way to undertake moving of patients taking into consideration their needs, both medical and cultural needs.
• To promote and maintain good internal and external communications links with patients, colleagues and associated services and health service colleagues to provide an efficient and effective service to the patient and customer.
• To operate any communication system supplied /fitted / operated by the Trust in accordance with its Policies and Procedures.
• To participate in the PTS Rota relating to the covering of shifts and duties as required / directed.
• To undertake and complete appropriate induction and core skill training as required to facilitate the correct level of care to the patients whilst in the care of the post holder, First Aid at Work, Core Driving, Conflict Management, Manual Handling, Child Protection, Health and Safety etc.
• To undertake all training as required by the Trust, to include core update training.
• To wear Personal Protective Equipment (Uniform etc) as supplied by the Trust. This equipment should be kept clean and tidy and worn to the required standard in accordance with the Trust’s Policies and Procedures.
• The post holder will be responsible for recording information accurately using either computerised systems or hard copy as required and submit in a timely manner.
• To accurately complete any administration information and documentation as required and ensure that it is submitted in accordance with current Standard Operation Procedures and Trust Policies and Procedures.
• To complete any incident reporting paperwork to include injury to patient, self or vehicle in accordance with Trust Policies and Procedures.
• To comply with all the Trust’s Policy’s and Procedures.
• To participate in the Trust’s response to major incidents and any such duties as directed.
• To undertake any such operational duties that may be required in order to assist in the provision of a quality service in line with the Trust’s contractual obligations
• To work with and to the standards set within the Ambulance Competency Framework culminating in the Trust’s appraisal scheme and associated continual professional development

Applicants must be able to complete an interview, and you will need to undertake a pre-employment fitness assessment.

Applicants who do not demonstrate how they meet the Person Specification within their application will not be shortlisted.

Please ensure you demonstrate how you already embrace our values in your current/previous employments or educational settings within your application.

Your supporting information is your chance to articulate why you want to work within the Ambulance Care Assistant role, and why we should be shortlisting you.

We’re aiming for a quick turnaround on interviews and fitness assessments. Our goal is to keep the process smooth and efficient, ensuring candidates have all the information they need and everything runs seamlessly.

If successful you will join our waitlist where we will start completing your Pre-Employment Checks. Once you meet minimum checks required, we will be in contact with you to book you onto the next available course.

If you are not successful for this opportunity, there are no deferral options available.

Whilst we will endeavour to place you at your preferred station, location is subject to vacancies being available and the needs of the service at that time.

This vacancy is for candidates who currently have the Right to Work in the UK (do not require a visa) as we are unable to provide sponsorship for this role.

Please see the additional information document attached to the advert for more information.

Top tips:

• Fully consider the job you are applying for; what skills/abilities you have to offer, working in a front‑line operational setting is extremely rewarding but it can also be both physically and mentally challenging.
• Demonstrate your work journey and why this is the right next step for you.
• Carefully review your application before submitting.

We are expecting this programme to be very popular and due to the limited spaces available we may close this advert early should we receive a sufficient number of applications.

This advert closes on Tuesday 29 Sep 2026

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust