Australian paramedics, including those who trained at CSU Bathurst, are in the UK service’s sights, which will be in the country next month to recruit.

It is not the first time the London Ambulance Service (LAS) has raided the ranks of Australian paramedics, with 393 recruited in two drives late last year and earlier this year.

CSU paramedic lecturer Tania Johnston said Australia was one of the few places in the world with similar training to the UK.

She said Australia and the UK educated paramedics in university degrees, while many other countries offered diploma courses outside the university system.

“It’s not common that paramedics have a degree ... so that makes it very desirable,” she said.

“They’re very wanted and very desired.

“The world is their oyster right now.”

Australian paramedics  are being urged to apply now before next month’s interviews to recruit 245 ambulance officers for the UK service.

LAS director of operations Jason Killens said Australian paramedic skills and training closely match those in the UK.

“As the largest city in Europe and one of the most densely populated, the work of London paramedics is fast paced, but nowhere else will you experience such diversity,” he said.

“This month alone, we’ve treated tens of thousands of patients, including those at music concerts in Hyde Park and at Tour de France which came through London.”

He said more paramedics were needed in London due to year-on-year increases in demand and because of a move to have more registered healthcare professionals overseeing patient care.

Once paramedics are recruited from Australia, they will undergo a short conversion course enabling them to treat patients in the UK.

Despite the potential loss of 638 Australian paramedics across the three recruitment drives, Ms Johnston said there were many more still being trained at universities like CSU across the country.