The Yorkshire Ambulance Service covers 6000 square miles and serves over 5 million people. It employs around 5000 staff and 1000 volunteers who provide 24/7 emergency services. Most staff work in frontline patient roles for services like NHS 111, air ambulance, and accident and emergency. Health advisors who work for NHS 111 are the first point of contact for patients and clinicians. They conduct clinical assessments, record symptoms, and direct patients to the appropriate healthcare service using the NHS Pathways system. Effective communication, critical thinking, and working under pressure are important skills for this role and other healthcare jobs. This experience has provided transferable skills that will benefit the author after graduation.

1. WORKING FOR
THE YORKSHIRE
AMBULANCE
SERVICE
By Faiza Sajjad

2. THE YORKSHIRE
AMBULANCE SERVICE
(YAS)
Covers 6000 square miles
serving an estimated 5
million members of the
population
Employs an estimated 5,000
staff working with over 1,000
volunteers to provide 24/7
emergency services to the
Yorkshire region
62% of staff work in
operational patient – facing
roles i.e., NHS 111, Air
Ambulance and Accident and
emergency.

3. 111 HEALTH ADVISOR
What does a Health Advisor Do?
- Act as the first point of communication for
patients, healthcare professional's and - third
parties
- Carry out a clinical assessment of the patient
and accurately record their symptoms and
condition
- Then using the NHS Pathways system be able
to direct patients to the appropriate healthcare
service.
- Health advisors are required to use their skills
to also provide basic medical advice e.g., life
support and other health information

4. EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
All communication within the role is not face to face.
Therefore, being able to use effective techniques such as
verbal nods and reflection during conversations is
necessary.
- Identifying the need to adapt how you communicate depending
on who you are relaying information to, so they have a complete
understanding
- For clinicians: information is needed concisely and accurately
- For patients: patients speaking slower using less jargon
- Making sure that the pace and tone when you speak is
appropriate to individual’s needs but also doesn’t compromise
clinical safety
- also making sure that all written information is concise and
accurate in order to make sure other services receive accurate
information.
For graduate positions within the BMS field and other fields such
as graduate medicine effective communication both written and
verbal is a key skill. not only with an external party but other

5. CRITICAL
THINKING
Health advisors are required to make evidence-
based observations and use other available
evidence and procedures to make accurate
judgments for patients.
- Active listening: using cues such as background
noise to indicate any other factors that are
necessary to what disposition is reached for the
patient.
- Previous encounters with patients: some patients
can have special notes that include additional
factors that need to be recorded and considered.
- Standard operational procedures: for certain age
groups, outcomes and locations different
procedures may need to be used.
Critical thinking is an important skill needed in many
organistaions both lab-based and non-lab based. As
it enables an individual to enhance problem solving
skills, find errors and solve complex issues which are

6. WORKING
UNDER
PRESSUR
E
In this role there is both operational pressures
and pressure from patients who are in critical
circumstances. It is necessary to remain calm
in situations in order to be able to do the role
effectively
- Being able to negotiate effectively with
patients in times where the service is in high
demand
- being able to de-escalate situations
independently using communication and
empathy
- being able to use systems effectively in time
critical situations e.g., patient is in pre-arrest
or needing to perform telephone CPR whilst
also dispatching an ambulance.
In graduate roles no matter how organized or
well- planned you can be challenges and
unexpected events can occur often.
Therefore, being able to work effectively and
calmly under pressure is important in any line
of work.

7. AFTER GRADUATION
Although the work experience is not
lab-based I believe it has allowed
me to develop skills that are
necessary in any line of work not
just in the BMS field. Giving me
skills that after graduation can then
be further developed and
specialized into the route I decide to
follow.

8. ANY
QUESTIONS
?