Representatives from the ambulance branch have been in negotiations with mangers from the ambulance trust in a bid to resolve the problem of frontline staff having to work excessive hours.
After what branch secreatry Fraer Stevenson described as “a year of broken promises” the branch members agreed to be balloted on industrial action if the matter wasn’t resolved.
The branch has produced a short film in which members talk about the stresses of their jobs and the fears they have that excessive working hours and insufficient rest breaks will lead to the safety of patients and staff being put at risk.
Before going in the negotiations Fraer told us “The decision to consider industrial action was taken after 12 months of negotiations failed to achieve any positive changes. During that time 355 frontline staff left the ambulance service.
“Excessive working hours are a danger to the safety of both patients and staff. We are asking for a 45 minute meal break, a 20 minute break later in the shift and for crews to return to base at the end of their shift and only be asked to attend the highest category of calls while en route back to base.
“The film makes for tough viewing. Staff were very open about how their jobs have affected them and how the pressures from enforced overtime and a lack of breaks is making their work much harder.
“Morale is very low and hundreds of staff have already left, which has placed more pressure on the remaining staff. We need the ambulance trust to seriously look at ways to keep staff in the job and not just focus on recruitment to replace those who have left.
“Staff are the most precious resource we have. The pressures are driving staff from their jobs and that is a huge risk to patient safety. The ambulance service needs to properly support its staff and we hope this film moves them to do the right thing so we can pull back from taking strike action.
“We are reaching out to managers in the trust – as people, as parents and as guardians of our ambulance trust – because it is within their gift to do more for their staff. Inaction is costing the ambulance trust and the communities it serves valuable and experienced frontline staff.”
The branch has set up a petition for UNISON members and the public to show their support: www.putbacktheheart.com/epetition