The pay rise announcement for paramedics, whilst being a significant rise, is not the great deal that it's been made out to be, with very little option for improving your pay based on skills and knowledge. The rise for Technicians which is what you would be to start with if you joined the ambulance service, is still to be decided. The offer from management has been thrown out by the unions as it was utter rubbish, and it's now been referred to a national committee. If the rumours are true, and it seems that's the way it will be, techs will be placed in Band 4 of Agenda for Change, so while our gross annual salary will rise to just over £25k, our basic salary will effectively drop from £21,900 to around £19k, with the rest being made up from enhancements - unsocial hours payments, London allowance etc. We'll get time and a half for overtime, but that'll be based on the £19k basic. Plus band 4 doesn't recognise us doing ECGs, giving drugs and supervising trainees. To put it into perspective - there are hospital cleaners that are going to be placed in band 4. Enough said? Sorry to rant on but this A4C stuff, but it really annoys the Hell out of me! As for a middle aged guy joining the job - I personally can't see a problem - on my technician course there was a 50 year old bloke, who completed the course successfully. If you want to do it - go for it! Despite the crap going on over pay and conditions at the moment, it's still the best and easiest job in the world.