Job summary
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is currently recruiting candidates for our HART teams based in Bristol and Exeter. SWASFT believe in having a diverse and inclusive workforce which represents the community and enables a more creative work force and supports patient safety.

As part of the extensive training in technical rescue and working within safe systems of work, HART Paramedics become proficient in the use of a wide range of specialist PPE and incident management equipment. A comprehensive on-going training programme will see you attend a week of training every six weeks, ensuring that every member of the Team maintains the highest standards and safe operating practices. Candidates will be expected to undertake residential training pertinent to HART requirements.

Successful applicants will undergo the selection process which includes:

• A competency based people panel
• An assessment day where you can showcase your skills and knowledge.
• An occupational health assessment.
• A physical competency and confidence assessment.

Successful internal candidates for the HART Paramedic role will maintain their current term and conditions.

Main duties of the job
As a HART Paramedic you will respond to a variety of adverse and protracted incidents. You will deliver paramedic interventions through a number of HART capability areas:

• Hazardous Materials (HazMat)
• Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and explosives (CBRNe) environment
• Marauding Terrorist Attack (MTA)
• Safe Working at Height (SWaH)
• Confined spaces
• Unstable terrain
• Water operations
• Support to Security Operations (SSO)
• Off road operations
• High consequence infectious disease (HCID)

As well as these core operational capabilities HART Paramedics have enhanced clinical skills - endotracheal intubation, ketamine administration, surgical cricothyroidotomy and digital thoracostomy to support Trust clinical strategies and patient care.

Successful candidates will be provided with the training, the equipment, the support to deliver exceptional patient care in adverse environments to improve patient outcomes.

About us
Working for us is an experience like no other. We provide emergency and urgent care, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, operating across the largest ambulance region in England of 10,000 square miles and responding to an average of 2,650 incidents every day.

We remain committed to ensuring that we provide the best possible care for all our patients, which is reflected in our new five-year strategy which has continually improving patient care at its very core.

At the heart of our beautiful and diverse region we employ over 6000 people and are supported by over 575 volunteers.

If you embody our values of one team, compassionate and innovative and are looking to make a real difference to peoples' lives, then we would love to hear from you.

In return we will equip you with the skills, resources and development you need to thrive in your role.

Details
Date posted: 15 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 202-8313053
Closing date: 29 October 2026

Job responsibilities
To apply you must be:

• Intubation trained (you do not need to be currently practicing this skill)
• Have a good level of physical fitness
• Be capable of swimming 100 metres
• Meet the physical requirements due to HART specific PPE
• Foot size between 3-14 (UK shoe size)
• Weight less than 124Kg (wearing trust uniform including boots)
• Height restrictions may apply for tall staff members (This is done on an individual basis)

Right to work / Certificate of sponsorship
This role meets the criteria for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship under current Home Office regulations. Applications are welcome from candidates who require sponsorship to work in the UK.
For further information on visa sponsorship and eligibility, please refer to the UK Government guidance on Skilled Worker visas: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• HCPC Qualified Paramedic
• UK Driving Licence with C1
• Blue Light Driving
• BSc in Emergency and Urgent Care practice or equivalent experience
• Advanced Clinical Skills e.g endotracheal intubation

Desirable

• SORT trained or waiting list
• ALS, PHTLS, PHEC or other advanced clinical courses

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Address: East Devon Operations Centre (EDOC) and North Bristol Operations Centre (NBOC), Exeter, Bristol, EX5 2FL, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.swast.nhs.uk

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
HART Business Manager, Catherine Connor, Cath.connor@swast.nhs.uk

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice is available on request.