A TOTAL of 30 new recruits are being sought for Shropshire, Worcesestershire and Herefordshire by the West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Throughout the region it is planning to take on more than 150 Emergency Care Assistants (ECAs) over the next few months an increase of more than 5% in the number of accident and emergency crew members.

The service is recruiting to meet a 6% increase in 999 calls.

Trust Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh said: "Services are being expanded with over 60 new ambulances and 30 rapid response vehicles being delivered and more are being ordered. We are training our staff to ever higher levels with 130 becoming paramedics this year and a similar number will be trained in 2008-09.

"We are looking for people who have excellent communications skills, are physically fit and have a caring and patient approach to people particularly those who are ill, injured or in distress. Candidates must be over 21-years-old, hold a C1 driving licence and have a minimum of five GCSE's or equivalent including numeracy and literacy subjects."

For more information about the role log onto www.jobs.nhs.uk, contact the WMAS recruitment hotline on 01384 24 64 64 (24 hour answer machine) or visit the recruitment section of the trust's website www.wmas.nhs.uk