Amateur boxer lands knockout job at ambulance service

AN AMATEUR boxer has landed a knockout new job at the Welsh Ambulance Service.

Jamie Jones, of Tal-y-Bont, Bangor, is learning the ropes as an Ambulance Care Assistant for the Trust’s Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service.

It is a family affair for the 23-year-old heavyweight whose uncle works for the service and whose late grandfather also had more than 15 years under his belt.

Jamie, who until recently worked at his father’s joinery business, started at the Trust in August after searching for a job that would allow him to fulfil his gruelling training schedule.

He said: “I’ve been boxing since I was 16 – it was just a hobby in the beginning, but it quickly turned into a serious pursuit.

“Boxing teaches you discipline, but it also gives you confidence and keeps you well physically and mentally.

“I’d love to progress into pro boxing, but in the meantime I fancied something a bit different to joinery and my ambition was to pursue a career in the ambulance service.

“My uncle Mark is an Emergency Medical Technician and my grandfather John worked for the service for 15 years, so I suppose you could say I’m following in their footsteps.

“I typically train 3-4 times a week, and this role gives me the flexibility to do my job but also pursue my passion, and the Trust have been really supportive in that way.”

Ambulance Care Assistants in the Trust’s Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service are trained to take patients to and from their routine hospital appointments.

No formal qualifications are required for the role, but candidates are expected to demonstrate a reasonable standard of education.

They must have the physical strength to fulfil the manual handling element of the role and can also expect long periods of driving.

More importantly, recruits must have experience of delivering excellent customer care.

The Trust is recruiting an additional 20 Ambulance Care Assistants in North Wales.

Jamie, who is based at Colwyn Bay Ambulance Station, is encouraging others to apply.

He said: “What I enjoy most about the role is that you’re meeting new people every day, and I’ve been made to feel so welcome.

“You could enjoy a lifelong career in the non-emergency service, but it’s also a great foundation role – especially for young people – not only to start you off in your career but also in life.

“Personally, I’d like to progress into an Emergency Medical Technician role so that I’m delivering clinical care to patients, and this is a great springboard for that.”

Click here for more information and to apply for the Ambulance Care Assistant role.

The closing date is 17 November 2021.

Editor’s Notes
Please email Head of Communications Lois.Hough@wales.nhs.uk for more information.