East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) Call Handler Jobs: How to Apply

The Role at EMAS

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) recruits Emergency Medical Dispatchers / 999 Call Handlers to answer emergency calls, gather the information needed to send the right response, and support callers — sometimes giving life-saving instructions — until help arrives. It is a high-pressure but genuinely meaningful role, and a strong route into the NHS for people without a clinical background.

You do not need previous experience or qualifications beyond the basics. EMAS provides full training, including on the triage system used to grade calls. Selection is about the right qualities: composure, accurate listening, fast and precise typing, and disciplined adherence to procedure.

The Region You Would Cover

EMAS serves the six counties of the East Midlands — Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland — a mix of cities such as Nottingham, Leicester and Derby and large rural areas. Calls are taken from the trust's emergency operations centres in the region; your training and base location depend on the vacancy you apply for.

Pay

Call handler roles sit on the NHS Agenda for Change scale, usually at Band 3 — £24,937 rising to £26,598 for 2025/26 — with unsocial-hours enhancements on top for nights, weekends and bank holidays. Check the band and any allowances in the specific advert. See our pay, bands and shifts guide for how the enhancements work in practice.

The Assessment Process

EMAS recruitment typically runs through an online application and supporting statement, online assessments, and a values-based interview. The assessments test the core control-room skills — verbal and numerical reasoning, situational judgement, memory and prioritisation, and an audio-typing / call-logging exercise. The best preparation is to practise each format under timed conditions. You can try free demos of all six 999 call handler assessment tests to get comfortable with what is coming.

How to Apply and Prepare

EMAS vacancies are posted on the trust's careers pages and NHS Jobs. To prepare well: craft a tailored supporting statement, work through the assessment-day stages, sharpen your audio typing, and prepare STAR answers for the ambulance call handler interview. New to this kind of work? Start with becoming a 999 call handler with no experience. 999ready is an independent preparation resource and is not affiliated with East Midlands Ambulance Service; always check the official EMAS careers site for current vacancies and requirements.