pommie girl

hi all can any you help me, I flying out the 31 march and wondering if queensland do actually meet and greet. my contact out there say they don't. Is there anyone out there with good advice re transferring of the wonderful nhs pension
cheers cant wait

Keebs

Hi Pommie girl,

I've sent you a pm regarding the above.

Keebs

pommie girl

hi keebs
thank you got you pm many thanks, that helps. So much to do don't know where to start. My last contact with Queensland Said, as sure as they can be Toowoomba is where I will be based. Still waiting for confirmation it is so hard trying to organise from here but will do as much as I can. Despite the nerves looking forward to it.
(the great escape!!!)

chris rose

hi all,

I know it nots QLD related but just thought it was worth posting to see if anyone else is in the same boat........

I had an interview and selection process with NSW in Sydney in sept 07 followed by a verbal job offer. I was promised a formal job offer would be in the post together with a provisional start date in July 2008.

It is now January 2008 and i am still awaiting the formal job offer /contract .
Despite several emails, they just keep telling me to be patient as it will arrive as soon as it has been drafted. I find this worrying as i know of at least 3 UK paras who have joined NSW in the last year, so why the big issue over sending a contract???

I am also very perplexed as to how they expect me to start in July when they know full well i cannot even start to apply for a visa until i have signed and returned the said offer. Me thinks a completed visa application in is unlikey in 4 months!!!
To top it off they say do not sell your house until you have your visa!!!!
so if the visa won't be hear until near July and they want me to start in July, are they expecting me to sell up over night?!?!?!?!

If anyone has any advice or knows anyone working for NSW i would be really grateful for some as it is doing my head in!!!!!

oh, and i love being able to have an email conversation one question at a time over a 24 period!!!!

best regards all,

Chris

pommie girl

hi chris ,it sounds very similar to queensland. Don't lose heart and yes you are right it all goes at a snails pace then the heavens move but you still don't know what is going on. mushrooms not paramedics!!!!

chris rose

- Thanks for the reply - yes you are about right there!!!

mandy.w1

How did you find the process? we were thinking of NSW as we weren't successful with QAS, sounds equally as good.

phil gore

Hi,sorry if i sound dumb,but do you need to have been in the ambulance service in the uk,to apply to get into aus,as i have no training i just wondered what my chances would be,any info would be great,thanks a lot.

Smurf1969

Hi phil

As far as I see it you don't have to be qualified in the UK, as I've heard a few from other countries have done it, but you do need to be a qualified technician or paramedic with at least 3 years experience, hope this helps

phil gore

cheers mate

jackhigh

12 hour shift update;
the vote carried in favour of 12 hour shifts

have seen a copy of the roster being considered for the area that basically covers the bayside area of brisbane and its very good, pretty much 4 on 4 off, some 10 hr shifts but also some runs of 5 days off
hopefully this will become the accepted roster.
Not sure if other regions are doing their own thing or this will become standard across QLD???

puffingbilly

didn't meet and greet with us

as for the pension, after looking at all the options we decided that we wouldn't transfer the nhs pension. there are alot of factors to take into consideration. the nhs pension is a very good pension scheme to be in.

we now feel we made the right decision as we will be returning to the uk next year. Many factors but basically we feel that we had a better lifestyle in the uk compared to here in oz

Lordflasheart

Hey sports fans!!

this is a really interesting thread. Just thought I'd share a few things with you guys from the South Australian Ambulance Service view point with regard to taking UK Paramedics.

I emigrated to SA Aug 2006 having spent 13 years with a UK Amb service as Para. Got an interview with SAAS a few months after arriving along with another fella from the UK. It didn't take long before we realised that we were the first UK blokes that they had taken and there was no real plan to integrate us. Long story short, we finally "Qualified" as Paramedics (Not ICP) 6 months in and managed to get suitable spots at decent stations.

I know that there are a few UK guys looking to come to SAAS as the HR dept asked if I would liaise with them and talk them through it. The point is the new fellas are being taken specifically to fill "Country" locations. For country locations read "areas that are hotter than the blazes of hell with big indigenous issues". I've been advising the UK chaps to get the area they will be placed, in writing before agreeing to join SAAS so that they can accurately assess whether or not to make the move, and this seems to be working well.

I realise that there is sometimes a long time between obtaining visa and arrival but SAAS seems happy to do this. I'd hate for you guys to rock up at QAS and find the you are off to a crappy place that an Aussie wouldn't look twice at.

sals

Hi all from Bali

We are finally on our way been in Bali en route to Oz for 3 days and all I can say is AWESOME wish we had longer here but the journey has to continue on Monday but at least the jet lags passing.

Good luck to those still waiting to hear

tyne

Good to hear you are having fun. Keep us up to date on your progress once you land in Oz! Best of luck mate.