Blog: Call 999 – the terrifying crisis in the ambulance service

Working in the ambulance service is a rewarding career. The feeling of helping people when they need it most is unbeatable and a source of pride for staff. However, the reality can be very different from the altruistic dream. Not because we’re no longer helping people and saving lives – of course, that still happens day in day out. But the way staff are treated and how their work is organised has led many in the service to question their perception of how things are run. They’re stressed, exhausted and overwhelmed. Looking at the big picture, demand on ambulance services has been growing year-on-year, way outstripping government funding. Recent figures show that in just two years, the number of ‘category one’ (life threatening) incidents rose by more than a quarter (27.2%), and overall activity was up by a tenth. Nationally, there’s an annual funding gap of more than £200m. Problems have been building, ignored by government, and largely hidden until the pandemic tested ambulance services to the limit with huge surges in demand. That’s because many people with chronic health conditions haven’t been accessing NHS support during the COVID crisis. Not until it gets to the stage where they need urgent help and they then ring 999 or 111. And that’s putting a strain on the system. Last month was the busiest ever for ambulance services, with more than a million 999 calls. Forgive me for sharing a bit of technical stuff, but ambulance services have made it this far ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article Blogs ambulance workers health NHS paramedics Source Type: news