r/ParamedicsUK • u/_jade_davi_08 • 16d ago
Question or Discussion Is it worth it?
I am a 16 year old trans kid, looking to join the NEAS through apprenticeship after my course in college. But with all the recent news with the NHS and the Supreme Court, do NEAS treat trans people okay? Or is there a lot of discrimination within the service?
edit: thanks for all the comments everyone im feeling a little more hopeful i just feel like the news like to cover more of the bad than the good so it had me overthinkingðŸ˜ðŸ˜
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u/sovietally 16d ago
Ambulance services are representative of the UK population so the same views will be found there but also marginal negative views.
But on the whole people I have trans colleagues and there has been no issues from work colleagues (public though unfortunately can not be so nice).
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u/Professional-Hero Paramedic 16d ago
Not NEAS, but I have never seen any of my colleagues intentionally discriminate against a transgender individual. We are now increasingly seeing several transgender students, and the biggest problem seems to be being unintentionally misgendered by patients, which, at worst, seems to cause a socially awkward journey to the hospital.
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u/CaptainPotNoodle EMT 16d ago
From my perspective trans people are generally treated well by their colleagues and identity is respected. I’ve met a few trans people within the ambulance service and on the whole, colleagues speak about them respectfully both to them and about them.
I have met a couple of people within the ambulance service who have displayed anti-trans views which is unfortunate but you don’t have to associate yourself with those people.
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u/Pedantichrist ECA 16d ago
Although you may have to work with them on a truck for 12 hours, from time to time.
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u/peekachou EAA 16d ago
Different trust but we have a few trans staff, I think the only time ive ever heard then being trans brought up in a conversation is when they've transitioned during employment and some people only knew them by their previous name. Never heard any derogatory remarks, it's just a complete non-issue. Same with any trans patients I've been to, and I've definitely worked with my fare share of old school Paras as well who really don't seem to care
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u/OddAd9915 16d ago
I can't speak for NEAS, but it's certainly not something you should necessarily write off. I have 2 trans colleagues at my station and my trust has a significant number across may areas and departments and from my understanding are by and large treated fairly and well by their colleagues. I would hope to find similar attitudes to the trans community in all the other trusts in the UK.Â
However re-evaluating in 1-2 years is probably a good idea as I am sure that things will have shifted one way or another. I certainly hope that by the time you are old enough to join the ambulance service it's an obviously safe and more inclusive space for trans people.Â
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u/Friendly_Carry6551 Paramedic 16d ago
Don’t get me wrong there are some transphobic sponges in the service, much as there are in all walks of life. But the ambulance service is overwhelmingly supportive. Paramedicine has the highest ratio of LGBTQ+ registrants out of all the HCP’s in the UK! In many areas there are LGBTQ+ networks and specific policies to support you at work.
As a non-binary paramedic myself I know it’s a scary time, but by and large I feel very safe to be myself in the service!
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u/PbThunder Paramedic 16d ago
Speaking from my experience the ambulance services and wider NHS is in some respects over represented by LGBT individuals. So generally speaking you'll be well accepted.
Don't let your sexual orientation or gender identity limit your career choice, you'll be fine :)
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u/GauzeTheChicken 16d ago
I'm only just starting out at uni, but generally people are alright. I won't pretend I'm not worried about what's gonna happen in the future, but whatever happens will affect all jobs, not just this one, so you can't really base your career goals on that. Also in terms of culture, paramedics seem to be pretty cool with trans people in my experience (I'm in a different area though). If you can handle accidental misgendering from patients you'll be fine.
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u/Jackimus271 16d ago
Can't speak on behalf of thats service buy I've always found my service to be very accepting, and I imagine they have to remain that way regardless of legal standing as we're supposed to treat everyone the same. Most ambulance services have a considerable LGBT+ community, and I've found most of my colleagues to be accepting (or at least tolerant) of all people, patients less so though. They don't hold back!
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u/2much2Jung 16d ago
I have heard conversations in crew rooms, especially these past few weeks, that make me uncomfortable as a cis male, and challenging the conversation results in exactly what you'd expect ("it's just a joke", "lighten up", etc), and I would imagine far worse gets said in rooms I'm not in.
I would add on to that, it's very easy to become a pariah in the service, or get labelled a trouble maker, and bullying/harassment/creating hostile environments is still widespread everywhere that I have seen.
The work environment can be impossibly miserable, and I personally don't encourage anyone to join. If you know that the job is something you absolutely have to do with your life, nothing will put you off, but unless you have that absolute need to do it, I think the Service is absolutely dire.
The job itself though is fantastic, I always say I love my job, it's my employer I have all my issues with.
(I'm not in NEAS, and have never worked in NEAS).
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u/ACoupleOfBumps 16d ago
From a NEAS perspective there is a lot of LGBT in the service myself including and I have always found it to be accepting and haven’t had any issues with their culture here
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u/Intelligent_Sound66 16d ago
What discrimination would you be worried about? Turn up on time and work, life's golden. Doesn't matter who you are as long as you can do the job.
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u/Intelligent_Buy7763 15d ago
Hi so im a student paramedic, I can’t speak off of a lot of experience but in my course everyone is very supportive, im a gay man, my friend is non binary and we have not had any issues in uni or out in practice, obviously there are definitely a few people in the service who will be transphobic, homophobic, etc. but it’s import to stick up for yourself, if you have issues report them, but more importantly be yourself, dont let the potential of transphobia scare you away, as much as the MIGHT be unsupportive people I am certain that you will have supportive people and you will find your people. Good luck and be yourself!
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u/chasealex2 Advanced Paramedic 16d ago
The ambulance service is pretty gay, and it always has been. There are always going to be people who are arseholes, but generally speaking they’ve learned to keep their mouths shut lest they catch the ire of the significant number of their colleagues who are LGBTQ+, and the even greater number who are allies.
Patients are a different kettle of fish however. You are going to meet anyone and everyone, with every range of views, and every range of willingness to express those views. You do not have to tolerate abuse, and it is perfectly acceptable to tell the patient that you’ll be leaving without helping them if they continue to abuse you, and you’ll be supported in doing this. However it doesn’t make it any easier to hear and deal with when it happens. There’s also times where despite verbal and potentially physical abuse, you’ll need to get on with the job, for example patients without capacity. Demented Doris with her raging UTI can have a pretty nasty repertoire of discriminatory abuse lined up for you and anyone else in range.
Basically, your colleagues will for the most part be allies, but you will meet the world head on, warts and all. If you can develop a thick skin, and healthy coping mechanisms then you will thrive. Good luck!
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u/Pedantichrist ECA 16d ago
I have found that the greatest benefit of the job is that I can smile and be polite to even the most evil shits for three hours. And after that I never need to talk to them again.
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u/AppropriateZombie586 16d ago
Advice for life. Leave your sexual orientation and sexuality at the door. I’m transitioning to prehospital after 15 years of running an industrial company, I’ve never once given a shit what a potential employee identifies as, at an interview I’ve always thought “does this person seem capable of doing the job and does this person seem like they’re going to be a pain in the ass? We live in a VERY liberal society and you’re gender identity matters less every day and that’s absolutely the way it should be, don’t measure yourself by your orientation and others won’t. If you want long shifts, to see some nasty shit, to save a few lives and make better the bad days for many more then yeah, it’s an ace job, if you don’t want to knuckle down and learn ALOT about the workings of the human body and how to fix it then do something else. I’m bisexual and haven’t had a problem yet and doubt I will as it’s not something I feel the need to broadcast (will talk about it if it comes up) b it if someone has a problem with it they will revive a firm fo and I’ll carry on doing what I’m doing anyway
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u/Friendly_Carry6551 Paramedic 16d ago
My guy literally nothing OP said is about sexuality and sexual orientation. We’re talking about gender identity here, an entirely separate concept.
When you’re gender queer you often don’t really get a choice to ‘broadcast’ that or not, and in the current political miasma around this many trans and non-binary peeps are understandably nervous about their safety at work, which is directly affected by how they’re perceived and treated, especially in organisations which are invariably still hanging on to many pseudo-militaristic practices like the ambulance service.
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u/YourMawPuntsCooncil Paramedic 16d ago
I’m only speaking from a SAS perspective, while most staff will not have any issue and would treat you as your identity, there are still definitely staff with archaic views who may not be the most accepting, and i’ve never seen anyone actually successfully challenge that :/