Occupations and Terms of Reference › Ambulance driver
Universal terms of reference · POS-139 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Ambulance driver
To drive ambulances safely, so that crews and patients arrive on time and without incident.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You drive ambulances. You drive safely to every task, check the vehicle before each shift, keep the crew safe, and report any incident or fault.
Reports to: Transport supervisor.
Leads or supervises: No direct reports.
What you do on a typical day
- Check the vehicle before each shift.
- Drive safely to tasks under emergency rules.
- Support the crew with lifting and equipment.
- Keep the vehicle clean and stocked.
- Report incidents and faults at once.
Working conditions and demands
- Emergency driving carries risk.
- Long shifts and night work.
- Fatigue management is essential.
What good looks like
- Crews arrive safely and on time.
- No avoidable accidents.
- Vehicles are checked.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- The right patient gets to the right care, at the right place, without avoidable delay.
- Patient safety comes before speed, cost or convenience.
- Clinical handover is complete and recorded every time.
- Vehicles, aircraft and equipment are checked and fit before every journey.
- Crews work within their scope of practice and call for help when out of their depth.
- Every incident and near miss is reported, and learning is shared.
- Staff and patients are protected from violence and harm during transport.
- Confidential patient information is protected in every journey and record.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-139 |
| ISCO-08 | 8322 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Emergency and transport |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory, Transport, Medevac, Fitness, Aesthetic |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-140. Supervises: .
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Transport supervisor | Rotas and vehicle allocation. |
| Paramedic | Crew instructions on scene. |
| Dispatcher / ambulance control officer | Tasking and routes. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driving | Drives to standard on every task. | No at-fault collisions | Monthly | C-01 | T-07 | POL-SAFEG | 2 |
| Vehicle checks | Checks the vehicle before each shift. | Checks recorded every shift | Daily | C-02 | T-05 | – | 2 |
| Fatigue | Reports fatigue and keeps within driving hours. | Driving hours within limits | Weekly | C-01 | T-07 | POL-SAFEG | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Route choice within rules | Vehicle defects that stop a journey (transport supervisor) |
| Stopping for vehicle safety | Driver fatigue (transport supervisor and driver safety officer) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Valid driving licence for emergency vehicles | Yes | per regulator |
| Q-02 | Emergency driver training certificate | Yes | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Professional driving experience | 2 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | – |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | C-02 |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | – |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | C-01 |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | – |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Safe emergency driving | Drives safely | Drives in emergency conditions | Designs driving standards | Driving audit | Every 12 months | T-07 |
| C-02 | Vehicle checks and care | Checks the vehicle | Manages vehicle faults | Designs vehicle checks | Vehicle audit | Every 12 months | T-05 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Collisions | 0 at fault | incident register | Monthly |
| PI-02 | Vehicle checks recorded | 100% | check records | Daily |
| PI-03 | Driving hours within limits | 100% | rota records | Weekly |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Ambulance driver | 2 years (recommended) | Q-01, Q-02 | C-01 practitioner, C-02 foundation | T-07 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |