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HPAC Grades Framework

Statutory & Mandatory Training

Pre-hospital care personnel are required to undertake staff induction covering statutory and mandatory subjects e.g. safeguarding, moving and handling and health & safety in the workplace. This is a mandatory pre-hospital sector obligation for all staff under various Health and Safety Executive (HSE) requirements.

It is a requirement, under regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, for CQC registered organisations to provide suitably qualified, competent and experienced staff to enable them to meet all other regulatory requirements described in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Certificate Validity

We are only able to accept certificates that are fully accredited by the awarding body. They must have no outstanding modules, preceptorship hours or additional elements, and must be valid for a minimum of six months from the date of submission. Relevant refresher courses must have been completed.

Scope of Practice

HPAC is a regulator, not an authoriser of practice. Actual scope of practice is the responsibility of the individual and/or their employer with reference to the relevant law/guidelines/training/competencies in accordance with practice jurisdiction.

FPHC PHEM Skills Framework

The Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh created the PHEM Skills Framework to encompass personnel of varying levels, ranging from First Aiders to Advanced Pre-Hospital Medical Practitioners, and to span multiple organizations within UK prehospital care. Find out more here

*NB: Trainees/Students are not considered full registrants. However, they agree to abide by our code of conduct and the principles of regulation. As they are not full registrants yet, ID cards will not be issued for this type of enrolment on the register. We recommend trainees/students update their enrolment as soon as they have completed the necessary training for one of the registrant grades below. E.g. once the first aid element on an accredited course has been signed off, they can apply to update their grade from Trainee/Student to First Aider (FA).

Kindly note that individuals who have been struck off, suspended, or placed under a restricted practice order on a statutory or voluntary register may not be eligible to apply to the HPAC.

HPAC Registrant Grades

First Aider (FA)

Category A or B on the FPHC PHEM Skills Framework

We can only accept nationally recognised certificates obtained from a training centre for an ‘awarding organisation’ (AO) recognised by national qualification regulators (Ofqual, Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) or Qualification Wales). Or certificates issued by a Voluntary Aid Society named on our First Aid requirements page.

Find out more here: First Aid requirements

Emergency First Responder (EFR)

Category C or D on the FPHC PHEM Skills Framework

Requires one of the following:

NHS Ambulance Trust Community First Responder Certificate or proof of appointment to this role by an NHS Ambulance Trust 
FutureQuals Level 3 certificate for Ambulance Service First Responders (more information)
Qualsafe Level 3 certificate in First Response Emergency Care (FREC 3) (more information)
First Person on Scene (intermediate/Enhanced) (FPOS-I/E) (RQF)
Pearson's Level 3/4 Certificate for First Person on Scene (RQF) (more information)
QNUK Level 3 Award for the First Person on Scene (International) (RQF) (more information)
QNUK Level 3 Award for First Responders (RQF) (more information)
QNUK Level 3 Award in Rescue Trauma and Casualty Care (RTACC) (RQF) (more information)
PHECC Emergency First Response Certificate (more information)
If you are seeking recognition of prior learning using a certificate not listed above, enhanced evidence scrutiny fees may apply for the cross-mapping exercise).

Ambulance Care Assistant (ACA)

Requires one of the following: 

NHS Ambulance Trust Patient Transport Service (PTS) qualification
Qualsafe Level 3 certificate in Ambulance Patient Care: Non-Urgent Care Services (RQF) (more information)
QualSafe Level 3 certificate in First Response Emergency Care (FREC 3) (more information)
FutureQuals Level 3 certificate in Ambulance Patient Care (more information)
FutureQuals Level 3 certificate for Ambulance Service First Responders (more information)
First Person on Scene (intermediate/Enhanced) (FPOS-I/E) (RQF)
Pearson's Level 3/4 Certificate for First Person on Scene (RQF) (more information)
QNUK Level 3 Award for the First Person on Scene (International) (RQF) (more information)
QNUK Level 3 Award for First Responders (RQF) (more information)
QNUK Level 3 Award in Rescue Trauma and Casualty Care (RTACC) (RQF) (more information)

In order to meet the ACA standard, registrants are required to have all the elements of Core Skills Training Framework (CSTF) NHS / Skills for Health. Read more hereIf you are seeking recognition of prior learning, evidence will be mapped against current level 3 Ambulance Support Worker Non-urgent standards (enhanced evidence scrutiny fees may apply for the cross-mapping exercise).

Emergency Care Assistant (ECA)

Category E on the FPHC PHEM Skills Framework

Requires one of the following:

Accredited NHS Ambulance Trust Emergency Care Assistant / Emergency Care Support Worker certificate (mapped against current level 3 Ambulance Support Worker Emergency, Urgent and Non-urgent standards)
Accredited St John Emergency Ambulance Crew qualification  
FutureQuals Level 3 Diploma in Ambulance Emergency and Urgent Care Support (FAQ Level 3) certificate (more information)
Qualsafe Level 4 Certificate in First Response Emergency Care (FREC 4) certificate (more information)
PHECC Emergency Medical Technician certificate (Active on PHECC Register) (more information)

If you are seeking recognition of prior learning, evidence will be mapped against current level 3 Ambulance Support Worker Emergency, Urgent and Non-urgent standards (enhanced evidence scrutiny fees may apply for the cross-mapping exercise).

Ambulance Technician (EMT) 

Category F on the FPHC PHEM Skills Framework

Requires one of the following:

IHCD Technician certificate (BTEC Level 3 in Ambulance Aid)
NHS Ambulance Trust EMT certificate (mapped against current Level 4 Associate Ambulance Practitioner standards - more information)
Qualsafe Level 5 Diploma in First Response Emergency and Urgent Care (RQF) (FREUC) certificate (more information)
PHECC Paramedic certificate (Active on PHECC Register) (more information)

If you are seeking recognition of prior learning, evidence will be mapped against current Level 4 Associate Ambulance Practitioner standards (enhanced evidence scrutiny fees may apply for the cross-mapping exercise). 

Associate Ambulance Practitioner (AAP)

Category F on the FPHC PHEM Skills Framework

Requires one of the following:

FutureQuals Level 4 Diploma for Associate Ambulance Practitioners certificate (more information)
Qualsafe Level 4 Diploma for Associate Ambulance Practitioners certificate (more information)

HCPC Registered Paramedic (PA)

Paramedics must be registered with the HCPC in order to apply to the HPAC (more information)

It is important to note that Paramedics who register with the HPAC do so on a voluntary basis as an additional registration, provided that their HCPC registration has no current practice restrictions. Registering with the HPAC does not replace the requirement to maintain active HCPC registration, and a valid HCPC PA number is required in order to be registered with the HPAC. Paramedics must ensure that their HCPC registration remains active at all times in order to remain on the HPAC register. If a Paramedic's HCPC registration is revoked, suspended, or subject to a restricted practice order, they will be immediately removed from the HPAC register as the HCPC holds primary jurisdiction in these matters.

Awarding bodies who wish to have their qualification/s included on this page may email [email protected]. Please indicate which HPAC grade/s your qualification/s map to and include a specification document for assessment by our qualification compliance team.