Manx students offered island paramedic placements

Manx student paramedics are getting the chance to return to the Isle of Man to complete their training.

Manx Care and Wrexham University have joined together on the three-year Bachelor of Science degree to combine on-campus teaching in Wales with clinical placements on the island.

Will Bellamy, head of the Isle of Man ambulance service, said that being able to carry out placements locally gave residents "options and choice" while developing a "pipeline of clinicians".

Since the inception of the island's ambulance service in 1994, the numbers of paramedics have remained stable at about 50, but the 999 calls received annually have "increased significantly", he said.

With an increase from 6,000 emergency calls a year to 13,000, the service was exploring whether 50 clinicians was the right number, Mr Bellamy said.

The local training is part of a move by Manx Care to deliver more locally-based training opportunities, and has four spaces available.

Up until 2004, ambulance training was completed at regional training centres across the UK, but this shifted to being delivered solely by universities, which a spokesperson for Manx Care said made "access more challenging" for Manx residents.

Mr Bellamy added: "The only way we are going to continue having a healthcare service on the island is to make sure we keep on generating interest and developing and cultivating the next generation of clinicians."

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