The College of Paramedics, formerly the British Paramedic Association, is the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 professional representative body for paramedics in the United Kingdom

Paramedics in the United Kingdom

Emergency medical personnel in the United Kingdom are people engaged in the provision of emergency medical services and include paramedics, emergency medical technicians and emergency care support workers...

. The college has representation with the Health Professions Council

Health Professions Council

The Health Professions Council is a statutory regulator of 210,000 health professionals from 15 professions in the United Kingdom. It was set up in 2003 under the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002, to replace the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine ....

 (the UK regulator), the Department of Health

Department of Health (United Kingdom)

The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...

, the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee. and universities offering degrees in paramedic science.

History

Paramedicine in the UK began with regional schemes in the 1970s and the introduction of a national course in 1985 for ‘extended care ambulance staff.’ The statutory regulator, the Health Professions Council

Health Professions Council

The Health Professions Council is a statutory regulator of 210,000 health professionals from 15 professions in the United Kingdom. It was set up in 2003 under the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002, to replace the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine ....

 (HPC) was formed in 2001, and as part of its remit is required to liaise with professional bodies representing each of the professions for whom it is responsible.

Paramedics were the only professional group in the initial registration to not have representation by a central body. Two members of staff from the then Essex Ambulance Service established a professional association to represent the paramedic profession and undertake the self regulation of paramedic standards and education required by the HPC. The name of 'British Paramedic Association' (BPA) was agreed at an inaugural meeting held at AMBEX in 2001.

In 2009 its name was changed to the College of Paramedics. This reflected the associations ambitions to be not only the professional voice of pre-hospital ambulance clinicians, but as the driving authority for increasing sections of pre-hospital clinical care education, training, proficiency and continuous professional development.

Post-Nominals

The College of Paramedics authorises the use of the following post-nominals by full members who are on the HPC register:[1]

• MCPara - Member of the College of Paramedics[2]

• FCPara - Fellow of the College of Paramedics (Fellowships are awarded by the Governing Council of the College)

College Structure and current incumbents

The college is structured around a central executive, with a national council, regional groups and representatives, intended to act as a conduit for information to and from the college. In addition, the college has appointed 'Station Champions' to represent College members at ambulance station

Ambulance station

An ambulance station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of ambulance vehicles, medical equipment, personal protective equipment, and other medical supplies. Most stations are made up of garage bays or a parking area, normally undercover...

and university level.

Executive

Role	Incumbent
President	Roland Furber
Chief Executive	David Hodge
Chair	Prof. Andrew Newton
Vice-Chair	John Martin
Director of Finance	Will Hughes
Director of Professional Standards	Jim Petter
Director of Membership Services	Lorma Downing

Council

Nation/Region	Member	Alternate Member/s
Northern Ireland	Lars Stuewe	Vacancy
Scotland	Robin Lawrenson	Jim Milligan, Ron Lilly*,Bill Halley*
North East	Matthew Capsey	Paul Younger*
North West	Steve Cremin	Jane Topham, Andy Swinburn*
Yorkshire	Peter Gordon Pollard	Steven Hatton
East Midlands	Bob Willis	Dave Roberts*
West Midlands	Adam Aston*	Chris Bearne, Jim Hancox*
East of England	Tracy Nicholls	Daniel Cody*
South Central	Jack Ansell	Darren Claydon*
London	John Donaghy	Graham Harris, Bob Fellows*
South East Coast	David Davis	Leigh Curtis, Andrew Sharman*(Regional Group Chair)
Great Western	Jim Petter	John Wood
South West	Adrian South	Richard Steggall
Independent	John Butterfield	Vacancy
Military	Will Hughes	Andy Hughes*
Student	Tony McColley	Michael Fletcher
		* = casual appointment

Membership

There are currently three levels of membership available within the college;

• Full - available to Paramedics (Registered with the HPC).
• Student - available to those who are currently undertaking an Health Professions Council approved course leading to eligibility to apply to the register.
• Associate - available to anyone with an interest in the furtherance of the aims of the College, the ambulance professional and pre-hospital care including technicians holding an IHCD certificate.

Member Training

Whilst the College has organised many educational events in the past, it launched its first full programme of continuing professional development events in 2011. These events are held throughout the UK and assist its members to maintain and develop their professional skills and knowledge.

Representation

The College’s Council members attend many national meetings and groups each year to represent the views and interests of the Paramedic Profession. The following is an indication of the breadth of the work of the College on behalf of its members in particular and the profession in general.

Higher Education Ambulance Development Group (HEADG)

• Joint Royal College Ambulance Liaison Committee (JRCALC)

• JRCALC Clinical Guidelines Group

• UK Stroke Forum

• Allied Health Professions Federation (AHPF)

• Department of Health

• Ambulance Workforce Forum

• Connecting for Health (CfH)

• National Ambulance Education & Development Forum

• Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine

• Ambulance Infection Control Group

• Health Professions Council (HPC)

• The Trauma Care Council

• The National Ambulance Research Steering Group

• The Faculty of Pre-hospital Care (RCSEd) Board

• The 999 EMS Research Forum Board

• Cardiovascular, Stroke and Vascular Specialist Collections of NHS Evidence (formerly the National Electronic Library for Health)

• United Kingdom Pre-hospital Sepsis Working Party (Surviving Sepsis campaign)

• National Governance Group for NHS Pathways

• 999 EMS Research Forum Board

• Faculty of Pre-hospital Care (RCSEd)

• Curriculum Advisory Group to the Inter-collegiate Board for the sub-speciality of pre-hospital care