14.04.15
Demand for ambulance services at highest ever level
Record ambulance service demand is “inevitably” impacting on frontline staff, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) says.
Speaking to NHE following a Unison survey last week, which revealed that job-related stress is affecting approximately 90% of ambulance workers, the organisation stated that ambulance trust managers work extremely hard with staff and trade unions to implement strategies to prevent stress.
However, the survey highlighted that almost 60% of ambulance workers who had been off with stress-related illness admitted they did not tell their employer the reason why they were off, and worryingly only 6% said they would talk to a manager or a supervisor to cope with stress.
Martin Flaherty OBE, managing director AACE, told us: “There is no doubt that our members take the current pressures their people are under extremely seriously, and we are confident they are committed to doing everything possible to promote a safe and healthy working environment for all staff.
“Progressive employment policies are in place, which are designed to assist the creation of a good work-life balance and, in turn, help support staff who suffer from stress related illness – be it work or non-work related – especially the Flexible Working, Special Leave and Sickness Absence policies prevalent across all Trusts.”
The organisation added that feedback from the public consistently shows that ambulance staff do a fantastic job, delivering excellent care for patients, often under very difficult circumstances.
Flaherty said: “It is also important to point out that violence against ambulance staff is not tolerated and all Ambulance Trusts have well-established procedures to protect staff as far as possible against violence and aggression while on duty and to support anyone who has been subjected to verbal or physical assaults in the course of their work.”
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