Ambulance workers in Wales say morale is at an ‘all-time low’

UNISON, which is the largest health union in Wales, is currently re-balloting those working in the Welsh Ambulance Service for industrial action over pay and conditions.

Staff in the sector have said they are overworked with some being forced to make “soul-destroying” calls to tell patients an ambulance will not be available for them.

North Wales-based ambulance worker, Carol Roberts, said: “We are simply unable to carry on firefighting shift upon shift.

“Crews are, on occasion, outside emergency departments looking after patients for more than 12 hours. They didn’t join the service to do this.

“Their radios are going off continually for the next job, but they are simply unable to respond. This is having a detrimental effect on their mental health, with many leaving or taking early retirement.”

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Carol works providing telephone triage and said: “Our role is to call patients back, some with obvious stroke symptoms or the elderly who have fallen, and to tell them we aren’t sending an ambulance is utterly soul destroying.

“Nurses and paramedics didn’t join the service to do this.

“Morale throughout the Welsh Ambulance Service is at an all-time low.

“The time for talking, clearly has fallen on deaf ears and we simply have no other option than to ballot for industrial action.

“We have staff from our overworked clinical contact centre employees to road crews having to juggle childcare with working and worrying if they have enough fuel to drive to their base station.”

Gerynt Page, who's worked for the ambulance service in Wales for 45 years said: “All grades of staff are experiencing burn out due to increasing service demands and a lack of hospital beds resulting in 999 offloading at hospitals.

“A lack of care home places leads to bed blocking, which affects patient discharge and reduced GP provision meaning additional 999 calls.

“Staff morale is low as they try to maintain a broken health service in extreme circumstances whilst seeing their pay eroded over the last decade.”

UNISON Cymru/Wales met with Welsh government officials and the health minister Eluned Morgan earlier this month to explore what an offer of an additional financial package for health workers could look like.

UNISON Cymru/Wales head of health Hugh McDyer said: “It is encouraging that the Welsh government is prepared to get around the table with health unions in Wales unlike the UK government.

"But there must be an immediate and long-term solution to the ever-worsening crisis of pay and conditions for the many thousands of health workers across Wales.

“Ambulance workers are the very people we all rely on in a crisis and yet they are now being faced with a toxic combination of low pay, the worst cost-of living crisis in a generation and unprecedented demands on the vital services they provide.

“Industrial action is always a last resort but ambulance workers in Wales and across the UK are being left with no other choice.”

In response, Jason Killens, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “The pressures on health and care services across the UK, including the ambulance service in Wales, are well-documented and staff are as frustrated as patients that we cannot deliver the service we want to.

“We spent more than 32,000 hours waiting to hand patients over to hospital colleagues last month, and while crews are tied up at hospitals, they’re unable to get to other patients in the community.

“It means that some patients are waiting a very long time for us to arrive, and we would like to apologise to all those patients and their loved ones who have had a poor experience.

“Staff I’ve been talking to in recent weeks feel deeply conflicted because on one hand, they joined to provide great care to patients when they need it most.

“But on the other, they feel that they can’t currently do that because of the pressure across health and social care, a lot of it beyond our control.

“As an organisation, we’re doing all we can within our gift to improve the experience of staff and patients but ultimately, it will take a system-wide effort to resolve system-wide issues.

“It’s why we respect the right of UNISON colleagues to re-ballot for industrial action, and will work closely with colleagues to ensure that we can continue to provide the safest service we can to the most acutely unwell patients across Wales.

“Ahead of the next round of industrial action on 06 February, our message to the public is clear – please only call 999 if someone’s life is in imminent danger or there are no other options.

“Use NHS 111 Wales online for basic first aid help and advice on a range of conditions, or call them if you’re unsure.

“You can also visit your nearest minor injuries unit, where there is no need for an appointment, your local pharmacy or your GP.”