The clinical effectiveness of education initiatives depends on the learners, the course and the workplace. To maximize the benefits accruing to patients from continuing professional education and role expansion, further exploration of the contribution of higher education programmes to clinical practice is required.

Purpose: To gain an understanding of how Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups respond to information about paramedic courses, their experience of the enrolment processes and their experience of paramedic training. Methodology: Telephone interviews were conducted with qualified paramedics and student paramedics from BME groups. Findings: Interviews revealed issues in relation to the accessibility and understanding of information on paramedic education and a lack of information in preparation for paramedic courses, causing unrealistic expectations. A lack of diversity in the student population, incidences of racial offence (unconscious or conscious), and a lack of visibility of BME staff in the ambulance service as well as in the wider community were identified. Practical implications: The results produced from this evaluation may contribute towards a series of recommendations in order to better inform practice to increase the diversity of students entering into paramedic science and in order to avoid issues such as student attrition

This article discusses the prehospital programmes on offer at the University of Worcester. The three courses offered are directed at both pre-registration and post-registration students. The newest edition to the university prospectus is the development of a higher education diploma in paramedic science for IHCD trained and Health Professions Council (HPC) registered paramedics. The programme has been designed in recognition of the HPC requirements for the paramedic to ensure that they maintain their fitness practice by continual professional development through keeping their knowledge and skills up-to-date (Health Professions Council, 2007).