Careers in HEMS
On this page, you can learn more about a career in Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) with EAAA. On each life-saving shift with EAAA, there will be two pilots and at least one doctor and one critical care paramedic. Clinicians have a huge range of skills and expertise from a variety of backgrounds, which include critical care, the military, intensive care, anaesthetics, emergency medicine (including paediatrics) and pre-hospital emergency medicine.
Doctors
For doctors who have not previously worked in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM), there are two possible routes into a career in PHEM with EAAA:
1) The official PHEM training programme
The official PHEM training programme is via the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The application window usually opens each autumn, for intake the following August.
As of August 2025, EAAA will again be a PHEM training provider through the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care Students are allocated to EAAA through the East of England Higher Education Deanery, from a national recruitment process.
This is a 12-month equivalent training programme which, following the successful completion of assessments, results in a Fellowship in Immediate Medical Care (FIMC).
2) Senior Clinical Fellows
These are non-accredited training posts with no sub-speciality recognition by the GMC. However, EAAA provides similar training opportunities to Senior Clinical Fellows as PHEM trainees to support them in gaining their FIMC.
We hold a highly-competitive recruitment process every 12 to 18 months. From there, we will shortlist and hold Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs), followed by interviews. If successful, positions are awarded at either EAAA’s Norwich or Cambridge bases.
Paramedics
All of the HEMS paramedics at East Anglian Air Ambulance are seconded from the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST). The charity does not directly employ HEMS paramedics, but there is a highly-competitive recruitment process for those who wish to apply for a secondment. This includes shortlisting, OSCEs and interviews. If successful, positions are awarded at either EAAA’s Norwich or Cambridge bases.
Clinical induction training
Doctors and paramedics successful in the EAAA recruitment process with be required to complete an initial induction period to include:
- A corporate induction
- A six-day intensive PHEM course
- A one-day medical passenger aviation course
- Lectures, workshops and simulation-based training
There will then be a period of direct supervision for all shifts they carry out with EAAA until they are formally signed off to attend patients autonomously.
Aviation
Babcock is a leading specialist in air ambulance operations and has supported EAAA for over a decade, providing pilots, engineers and aircraft. If you would like to join this highly-skilled team, visit Babcock’s careers website for current vacancies.