TrueMedic’s FREUC 5, Diploma in First Response Emergency and Urgent Care, is an accredited course recognized by leading healthcare organisations, including the Association of Pre-hospital Care and Qualsafe. Let’s discuss in detail what this diploma entails.

As an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), you will be trained to provide life-saving care in emergency and non-emergency situations, such as responding to car accidents or other medical emergencies. You’ll also learn how to conduct triage and assessment of patients, interpret vital signs, assess for injuries or illness, and take appropriate action.

FREUC 5 gives you a solid foundation to prepare for real-world situations, covering anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, assessment and management of injuries/illnesses, and patient care.

This diploma also offers important training through hands-on scenarios, giving aspiring medics the best possible preparation for making life saving decisions when it matters most.

With topics ranging from advanced first aid to mental health and deep systemic assessment, this course leaves no stone unturned in its quest to equip our lifesavers with all the knowledge they need to make a real impact on the lives of their patients.

The QA Level 5 Diploma in First Response Emergency and Urgent Care (FREUC 5), part of the FREC pathway, is a qualification that comprises 6 mandatory components with a Total Qualification Time (TQT) of 1094 hours of which 750 hours are clinical practice placement in emergency and urgent care settings. TrueMedic Ltd offers each student a personalized professional development portfolio and ongoing support throughout the qualification.

FREUC 5 qualification is:

• For people who work or hope to work in emergency and urgent care settings who would be expected to undertake clinical assessment, evaluate patients’ conditions and manage traumatically injured and unwell patients prior to referral to the next echelon of care
• Based on clinical skills and competencies at Level F of the prehospital provider competencies FPHC Pre- Hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM) Skills Framework
• Based on Level 4 Associate Practitioner of the Skills for Health Career Framework

This qualification forms part of the QA Prehospital Care suite of qualifications. The qualification and learning outcomes are based on the recommendations of:

• Resuscitation Council (UK)
• Skill for Health Career Framework
• East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
• Skills for Health Assessment Principles for Qualifications that Assess Occupational Competence
• The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh – Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care (FPHC)

Who is the FREUC 5 Designed For?

Our FREUC 5 qualification equals the IHCD Technician level. Sadly, IHCD is no longer recognized or accepted in the UK. Nevertheless, our FREUC 5 course has been approved by most Trusts, and all may accept this certification next year.

Before commencing this course, ensure you verify with your potential employer that they acknowledge the FREC pathway to avoid any let-downs. Additionally, an accredited 4-week blue-light driving course (Level 3 CERAD) must be completed before or after entering the workforce; this can occur within the company or externally if preferred.

Until you meet all the required qualifications, your salary will be set at a rate for FREC 4 (ECA, ECSW). Upon completing your classes, you will be required to accomplish 750 hours through internships, workbooks, and reflective practice logs.

We have a great network of contacts that can support finding top-notch placements for our students, if desired, even connecting with potential future employers.

Relationship with other related qualifications

The Qualsafe Level 5 Diploma in First Response Emergency and Urgent Care (RQF) may be transferred to other similar qualifications under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and count towards achievement of such qualifications providing it is achieved within its registration period.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process for recognising any learning undertaken and/or attained by a Learner. The Learner must prove they have met some or all the learning outcomes and/or assessment criteria for this qualification before RPL can be considered.

AAP conversion to FREC4

If you are already qualified Emergency Care Assistant via in-house training with Trust or completed Future Quals Level 3 Diploma in Ambulance Emergency and Urgent Care Support, we offer a conversion to Qualsafe FREC4 – First Response Emergency Care qualification. The reason why AAP route is not automatically recognized as equivalent is that FREC4 is actually higher grade qualification in the sense that it for example allows you to perform Advanced Airway Management on a patient in cardiac arrest etc. After the conversion you can then continue to FREUC5 – Emergency Medical Technician qualification and become autonomous clinician which is very desirable role these days in prehospital care world.

FREUC 5 – Entry Requirements

• Learners must be at least 18 years old on the first day of the training.
• Learners must have successfully completed the Qualsafe Level 4 Certificate in First Response Emergency Care (QCF/RQF) (FREC4) qualification before they can register on to this qualification.
• Evidence of continuing professional development covering FREC3 and FREC4 content including annual revalidation of Immediate Life Support (ILS).
• Learners must be able to undertake 750 clinical practice placement hours.
• There are no other formal entry requirements but to benefit from the learning we advise that Learners have a minimum of Level 2 in literacy and numeracy or equivalent.
• Learners should hold Level 3 CERAD qualifications and complete Practice Placements HR process.
• If you are not holder of Level 3 CERAD we have an option of 3^rd manning on frontline ambulance. Please get in touch with us for more information.

Progression

The Qualsafe Level 5 Diploma in First Response Emergency and Urgent Care (RQF) qualification may:

• Be used towards other clinical qualifications at the same and higher levels
• Aid career progression in a relevant profession such as a registered healthcare professional
• Be used as a springboard to become a paramedic. It may also provide a stepping stone into specialist medical roles within the military, emergency services and industry

Course Duration and Cohorts

The course spans over 20 classroom days and 2 online study days, divided into 4 weeks, followed by 750 hours of placement-based consolidation. It features a low trainer-to-learner ratio and incorporates both theoretical and practical learning.

We aim to deliver total 3 cohorts a year. Each cohort takes up to 12 students to ensure we deliver high quality face to face theoretical and practical training to each individual. We also have a dedicated person who will support our students with any type of Learning Difficulties. The classroom teaching itself will be delivered over 4 months, each month you will be required to attend 5 days Monday to Friday) of face-to-face training. Unfortunately, any absence during the course is not tolerated, and requires 100% attendance.

Cohorts for 2025 will be as following:

1. Cohort: January – April
2. Cohort: May – August
3. Cohort: September – December

For exact dates please see our FREUC5 calendar for 2025

Course Locations

Primarily held in our new classroom
Unit 9 Brocks Business Park, Wickford, Essex, SS11 8YN
Alternatively there may be occasions when the training is held in – Saint Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Brentwood CM14 5QN
Clinical Placement Hours are currently completed by private ambulance service in Devon, Cornwall and across South West region.

TrueMedic reserves the right to decide where Clinical Hours will be completed unless the student has their own Clinical Placement Sponsorship in place and agreed with us.

Assessment process

There are 7 OSCES and 1 Skills test for this qualification:

• Major trauma OSCE
• Acute coronary syndrome OSCE
• Immediate life support OSCE
• Acute medical emergency OSCE
• Medical condition OSCE
• Patient assessment OSCE
• Obstetrics and gynaecology OSCE

Theory assessments:

• 1 Learner workbook
• 2 Invigilated exams
• 1 Professional practice portfolio
• 1 Academic portfolio
• 1 Practice assessment document (includes 750 clinical practice placement hours)

Certificate Validity

• The FREUC 5 qualification remains valid as long as the learner maintains a CPD portfolio and holds a current Immediate Life Support certification which can be completed with us as well.

To book on the course please fill out our form on

Level 5 Diploma in First Response Emergency and Urgent Care – FREUC 5