Well, I was quite cross earlier but my mood has mellowed. What I was going to write about I may still but not right now.

I spent the second half of the shift with one of the new Emergency Care Assistants (ECA). I must say, right off, that he was a nice guy, very switched on and eager to learn.

But, in discussion with him, the flaws of his role have become more apparent to me.

The ECA's are our version of the PCSOs that the police use. People who look the part but can't do a good chunk of the role. Cheap bums on seats if you like.

The ECAs cannot actually care for a patient in the back of the ambulance. They can drive, they can do basic CPR and that appears to be about it.

Now, the management will say that's ok. They won't actually be going to patients as a first responce; what they will be doing is following a paramedic in a car around

The management will also say that the ECA will always be working with a qualified member of staff (Paramedic or EMT) so there is no danger at all

But. With the state of the level of staffing we have at the present how long will it be before ECAs end up working together. So instead of having two trained people in the ambulance that comes to you, you will have two people who have first aid certificates

Secondley, if the ECA manned vehicle is the closest to an emergency the mobiliser will be under a lot of pressure to send it so he can meet the responce time targets.

Thirdly, the chap I was working with was quite happy to deal with patients but theis was technically against the rules. I was happy that he did because they were simple cases. But is this how its going to be? Are the trust going to turn a blind eye until something goes wrong and then jump on the person responsible? Probably!

I stick with my original thoughts on the matter. I think the ECA idea is potentially very dangerous. I think that someone will die because of it