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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/15/people-dying-ambulances-javid-health-secretary
Today, with new revelations of the plight of people who die in the back of ambulances and the up to 160,000 more a year who come to harm because they are stuck outside hospitals unable to be admitted to A&E, we all see the extent to which the NHS is struggling in the face of extraordinary pressure.
Let me share with you my perspective from the frontline. The NHS is running on empty. The staff are physically and mentally exhausted. And yet we are constantly asked for more.
I recently worked 54 hours in four days. I had five hours of unplanned overruns at the end of my shifts. My 30-minute break, which I am entitled to in a 12-hour shift, was eight or nine hours into the shift every time. That is nine hours of work without a break. That is due to the sheer amount of calls we are receiving as an ambulance service.
This is not a sustainable way of working. I finished my shifts physically and mentally drained, and considering resigning from my job. I love my job. I love working as a paramedic, but in recent times, I am starting to consider the physical strain that it is putting on my body, and the stress and tension I am carrying around with me even on my days off. My time away from work is not downtime any more, because I cannot relax from the strain of the job. We are being worked into the ground. This will lead to more resignations and more strain on an already stretched service.
Today, with new revelations of the plight of people who die in the back of ambulances and the up to 160,000 more a year who come to harm because they are stuck outside hospitals unable to be admitted to A&E, we all see the extent to which the NHS is struggling in the face of extraordinary pressure.
Let me share with you my perspective from the frontline. The NHS is running on empty. The staff are physically and mentally exhausted. And yet we are constantly asked for more.
I recently worked 54 hours in four days. I had five hours of unplanned overruns at the end of my shifts. My 30-minute break, which I am entitled to in a 12-hour shift, was eight or nine hours into the shift every time. That is nine hours of work without a break. That is due to the sheer amount of calls we are receiving as an ambulance service.
This is not a sustainable way of working. I finished my shifts physically and mentally drained, and considering resigning from my job. I love my job. I love working as a paramedic, but in recent times, I am starting to consider the physical strain that it is putting on my body, and the stress and tension I am carrying around with me even on my days off. My time away from work is not downtime any more, because I cannot relax from the strain of the job. We are being worked into the ground. This will lead to more resignations and more strain on an already stretched service.