Welfare of ambulance staff at risk as services face ‘unsustainable’ demand     

UNISON has written to ambulance service chiefs calling for urgent support for staff as services face unprecedented 999 call volumes and unsustainable demand from the public. The letter to Daren Mochrie, chair of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), says employers must act ​now to​limit the impact on the wellbeing and morale of staff, especially those working in control rooms. In the letter, UNISON says ‘missed meal breaks, late finishes, queuing outside hospitals and increasing levels of sickness absence have become widespread’. The letter continues: “This is all having a terrible impact on morale, as well on the health and wellbeing of ambulance staff. “Ambulance ​staff have been at the forefront of the Covid response, working under levels of pressure never seen before.” Major issues that are being reported to UNISON by staff across the country include: An ambulance service employee having to attend jobs for an extra five hours and travel over 100 miles after ​their shift officially ended. ​Timewasting 999 calls from the public including requests for crews to attend a property where someone couldn’t reach their TV remote control and another where the person was too hot because they couldn’t turn their heating off. Staff at ambulance stations crying at the end of their shifts because of stress, low morale and lack of breaks. Some are spending hours queuing in A&E department corridors waiting to hand over patients on stret...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Press release Ambulance ambulance workers Helga Pile Source Type: news