More than half of ambulance service staff in the UK are "overwhelmed at work" according to a worrying survey conducted by the union UNISON, which has warned of the pandemic 's "terrible toll" on staff wellbeing.
Of more than 1,100 staff members across the country, 75% told UNISON they had seen stress and pressure increase compared to before the pandemic - while more than half of those to respond said they were "overwhelmed at work" (57%) and "struggling to cope with the demands of their jobs" (53%).
UNISON's head of health Sara Gorton said the survey showed the "system was creaking at the seams" while a senior North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) figure said the survey "reflects the physical and mental demands" staff were under.
Read more: North East Ambulance Service paramedic raising awareness of veteran homelessness by sleeping rough
Other worrying statistics from the survey include that more than three in five ambulance service staffers felt their job was causing stress and anxiety. Of those reporting stress, 60% cited concern about the time ambulances took to get to people in need, and 58% said ambulance handover delays outside of hospitals put patient lives at risk. A total of 395 said they fear making clinical mistakes leading to harm.
Almost 30% of those to report being stressed said they had experienced a breakdown, while a quarter said they were taking antidepressants. In responding to the survey, some ambulance staff explained the impact of stress on their lives. One said: "I'm dreading coming in to work and spending time sitting in the 'car park' outside my emergency department."
Another said they had "chronic anxiety and stress" before going to work, and that this could last "days" ahead of a run of shifts. These are testimonials from staffers who could be based anywhere in the country.
Commenting on the survey results, Ms Gorton said: "The increasing demands on already stretched services is taking a terrible toll on ambulance employees and their mental health as they work under immense pressure in under-staffed teams. Ambulance staff, like so many in the NHS, can’t just leave their stress at the door when they get home. That has a huge impact on their wellbeing and their families."
She called on the Government to "dig deep" and fund a generous pay rise for emergency service staff. The Government is waiting recommendations - due in May - as to an NHS pay rise from the NHS Pay Review Body.
Stephen Segasby, chief operating officer at NEAS, said: "All our staff have experienced a challenging two years coping with the Covid-19 pandemic, both at work and in their personal lives, which has taken its toll. We have recognised this and the survey from Unison reflects the physical and mental demands placed on our hard-working staff daily. The results are in line with what colleagues feedback to us directly."
Mr Segasby said NEAS saw staff health and wellbeing as "of the utmost importance" and said staff were encouraged to report mental health conditions so they could be offered support. He said managers were able to debrief with staff after "difficult incidents", and spoke of the "in-house occupational health team" who can help those struggling access support.
He added that NEAS was "looking for new ways" to support staff mental health and had implemented training for managers in spotting "the early signs of stress".
In the evidence submitted to the NHS Pay Review Body, the Government said it "as ever, has a careful balance to strike between ensuring the NHS has the workforce it needs to deliver health priorities, whilst also ensuring the NHS remains on a sustainable financial footing and delivering value for money for the taxpayer".
Are you worried about the impact of stress and anxiety on our NHS? Let us know in the comments below
