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Abstract Ambulance waiting times across the UK have increased in recent years. The numbers of ambulance staff leaving services across the UK is increasing every year. Strategies to help recruit and retain all ambulance staff, including paramedics are important. This rapid evidence summary aimed to investigate what innovations can help with their recruitment and retention. Eight primary studies were identified: Recruitment Evidence from a UK survey suggests that factors negatively influencing paramedic recruitment include competitive job market, lack of locally trained professionals, and newly qualified professionals starting with higher debt. Evidence from the US suggests that factors supporting recruitment concern future paramedics wanting to enter a caring profession or an exciting job. Additionally, strategies to recruit emergency medical technicians need to include the motivational aspects of growth, advancement, recognition, and responsibility. Evidence indicates that factors hindering recruitment of emergency medical technicians and/ or paramedics include rural working, and ambulance services not seen as a primary career path. Retention Evidence from a UK survey suggests that pay, reward, stress and workload are factors that hinder paramedic retention. Evidence recommends retention strategies for paramedics, such as reviewing banding, improving work conditions and career progression, changing the way ambulances are dispatched to calls, and providing retention premiums. Evidence from the US suggests that pay, benefits, opportunities for advancement, continuous professional development, burnout, stress, workload, nearing retirement and career change are factors that influence retention of emergency medical technicians and/ or paramedics. Evidence from Thailand suggests that remuneration and professionalism are factors supporting paramedic retention. More up-to-date information is needed on the recruitment and retention of ambulance staff in UK settings. Further research providing a more detailed investigation of factors influencing recruitment and retention may be useful. The development or implementation of future strategies to help the recruitment and retention of paramedics and emergency medical technicians should be accompanied by a planned impact evaluation. Funding statement The Wales Centre For Evidence Based Care was funded for this work by the Wales Covid-19 Evidence Centre, itself funded by Health & Care Research Wales on behalf of Welsh Government. Wales COVID-19 Evidence Centre (WCEC) Rapid Evidence Summary What innovations help with the recruitment and retention of ambulance staff: a rapid evidence summary Report number – RES00050 (November 2022) Rapid Evidence Summary Details Review conducted by The Wales Centre For Evidence Based Care Review Team ▪ Deborah Edwards ▪ Judit Csontos ▪ Liz Gillen ▪ Judith Carrier Review submitted to the WCEC on: 24 th November 2022 Stakeholder consultation meeting: 14 th November 2022 Rapid Evidence Summary report issued by the WCEC in : December 2022 WCEC Team: Ruth Lewis, Adrian Edwards, Alison Cooper and Micaela Gal involved in drafting the Topline Summary and editing. This review should be cited as RES00050, Wales COVID-19 Evidence Centre. A rapid evidence summary of what innovations help with the recruitment and retention of ambulance staff. November 2022 Disclaimer The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors, not necessarily Health and Care Research Wales. The WCEC and authors of this work declare that they have no conflict of interest. What innovations help with the recruitment and retention of ambulance staff: a rapid evidence summary Report number – RES00050 (November 2022) TOPLINE SUMMARY What is a Rapid Evidence Summary? Our Rapid Evidence Summaries (RES) are designed to provide an interim evidence briefing to inform further work and provide early access to key findings. They are based on a limited search of key resources and the assessment of abstracts. Priority is given to studies representing robust evidence synthesis. No quality appraisal or evidence synthesis are conducted, and the summary should be interpreted with caution. Who is this summary for? Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust Background / Aim of Rapid Evidence Summary Ambulance waiting times across the UK have increased in recent years, with emergency service performance targets missed. Reasons for the decreasing performance include increasing demand, problems with moving patients through the system, and workforce issues. The numbers of ambulance staff leaving services across the UK is increasing every year with the most acute retention problems affecting paramedics. Strategies to help recruit and retain all ambulance staff, including paramedics are important, therefore this rapid evidence summary aims to investigate what innovations can help with their recruitment and retention. Key Findings Eight primary studies were identified. Extent of the evidence base ▪ Quantitative descriptive surveys (n=6) and qualitative studies (n=2) ▪ Studies were from USA (n=6), UK (n=1) and Thailand (n=1). Recency of the evidence base <jats:list list-typ