What is the paramedic holiday entitlement?

UK - England, Wales and Northern Ireland

The Working Time Regulations 1998 stipulate that all workers, including NHS staff, are entitled to a minimum of 28 days' paid holiday per year. This includes bank holidays and public holidays.

However, the NHS often operates a shift system, which can make it difficult for staff to take their annual leave entitlement. For this reason, many NHS trusts have agreed to give staff a higher number of annual leave days, in order to compensate for the fact that they may not always be able to take their leave on the days they would like.

For example, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has negotiated an annual leave entitlement of 37 days for its members who work in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scotland

In Scotland, the Working Time Regulations 1998 also apply, and all workers are entitled to a minimum of 28 days' paid holiday per year.

However, the Scottish Government has introduced a new policy, which came into effect on 6 April 2018, which gives NHS staff in Scotland an additional four days' paid leave per year. This means that NHS staff in Scotland are now entitled to a minimum of 32 days' paid leave per year.

This additional leave is intended to compensate for the fact that staff may often be required to work unsociable hours, or to work on bank holidays.

Summary

The paramedic holiday entitlement in the UK varies depending on the country you work in, and the trust or health board you work for. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, paramedics are entitled to a minimum of 28 days' paid leave per year, but many trusts offer a higher number of days to compensate for shift work. In Scotland, paramedics are entitled to a minimum of 32 days' paid leave per year.