UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - Ambulance Staff Quitting.

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour - Ambulance Staff Quitting.

The BBC have reported a story of particular interest to me as my nephew has just left the ambulance service and their story reports that Increasing numbers of paramedics are leaving NHS ambulance services.

Senior staff say remaining paramedic crews are under greater pressure than ever before to meet demand.

At least 1,015 paramedics left their job in 2013-14, compared with 593 in the same period two years earlier. The Department of Health says it is spending an extra £28m on the ambulance

London Ambulance Service saw 223 paramedics leave in 2013-14, four times the number in 2011-12, and the largest increase in the country.

An internal document, produced by London Ambulance Service and seen by BBC Radio 4’s ‘The Report’   programme, suggests morale among paramedics with three-quarters of paramedics surveyed saying that they had considered leaving the service in the past 12 months.

Anonymous paramedics quoted in the report point to rising workloads as one of their greatest grievances.

Alison Blakely, a paramedic in London for 10 years, says that while she loves the job, when on shift, she often doesn't even have time for a break.

"You use hospital facilities for toilets as much as possible, and eat and drink as and when you can," she says.

"The control room do try and get us rest breaks, but due to the demand currently this is rare."

A London paramedic who wanted to remain anonymous, told the BBC that sometimes there were as many as 200 emergency calls on hold, and that the service "haven't got enough vehicles or staff to cope".

"When I joined the job, it was very unusual for someone to leave the service other than through retirement, but over the last two or three years it's escalated beyond belief," he said.

But this is not just a London problem.

Association of Ambulance Chief Executives chairman Anthony Marsh says a surge in 999 calls this year and higher numbers of paramedics leaving some services, means the remaining front-line staff are facing pressures that are "greater than they've ever been"

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio – Medical News Update on the Hour

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