Michelle, Paramedic
I’m Michelle and I’m a paramedic. 
Looking at the Ladybird books, do you think your job is like the one depicted in the book?
Not anymore, no. I think it’s changed quite a lot.
What are the main differences between now and then?
I think paramedics have always been in the ambulances, known as ambulance drivers. And now paramedics, you find them everywhere, in the ambulances, hospitals, primary care, GP’s surgeries, and the role’s progressed a lot more, and you can do a lot more skills and a lot more qualifications for it.
My main role here is minor injuries, minor illness, care home ward rounds to try and ease some of the pressure off the doctors if we can go round and assess all their wounds, injuries, chronic conditions.
What things have stayed the same?
I think the fundamental of being a paramedic is still very much the same, everyone associates you with like the emergency conditions, you generally drive people to hospital, that’s pretty much the same and what people expect and what they know about it is quite similar.
What makes your job special?
I think it’s the people you see, it’s different every day, you get different variety, you never know quite what you’re getting, especially with the different settings involved.
Have you always worked in Harborough?
No, originally I started off in London, that’s where I did my training, moved to Coventry University to finish my paramedics course, stayed in the West Midlands, Birmingham area for a while and then I’ve been in Market Harborough for about a year and half now.
What is special about doing your job in the Harborough area?
The people make it so nice here, people we work with, the community, the patients are always nice, polite and you get a good variety of everyone.