Health conference asks why ambulance staff aren ’ t an emergency service

The final day of UNISON’s annual health conference in Bournemouth opened with delegates standing in a minute’s silence to mark the upcoming International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April (above). Moving to the business of the day, debates were heard on a variety issues. Retirement age parity A motion submitted by the ambulance occupational group highlighted the disparity in retirement age between police, fire service and ambulance staff. Peter Steventon, South East central ambulance, opened the motion saying: “You would assume that NHS ambulance staff would be recognised as an ‘emergency service’. You would be wrong – we are regarded as an ‘essential service’. “We don’t retire at 60 like emergency services, ambulance staff starting their career today won’t be able to retire until 68,” adding :“It has been proven that ambulance staff suffer the most muscular skeletal injuries in the NHS.” One delegate told conference: “When you get a bunch of ambulance staff together you regularly have the conversation return to: best pain killer; best app for back exercises; or why does my ankle make that clicking noise? “After the recent strike the public have a deeper understanding of the strains of being ambulance staff and now is the time to capitalise on this.” Ben Morris continued the debate, saying: “As a 26-year-old, I have 41 more years of work left in front of me. 41 years of carrying heavy equipment, 41 more years of carrying patients,...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: Article 2023 National Health Conference Ambulance ambulance strikes fighting cuts and privatisation in the NHS Source Type: news