Ambulance staff suffering mental health problems
10/Oct/2019
A survey of ambulance staff who are members of Unite, the UK and Ireland’s largest union, has revealed they are suffering mental health problems at epidemic levels.
The survey’s initial findings have been released to coincide with World Mental Health day today (Thursday 10 October). Around 550 respondents have so far taken part in the survey.
Epidemic levels
The survey found that over half of ambulance staff have suffered from anxiety (54%) while 44% recorded they had suffered from depression. Ambulance staff also disclosed that two thirds of them (67%) were excessively irritable or angry and over three quarters (77%) were suffering from stress. Nearly a fifth (17%) of respondents also reported trauma as a result of their work responding to life threatening emergencies.
The staff also recorded other problems including: tiredness (89%), problems with sleep (85%), generalised aches and pains (70%), poor diet/loss of appetite (64%), headaches (55%) and gastric problems (54%).
Excessive workloads
Workers recorded the primary reasons for experiencing stress at work were excessive workloads, unrealistic targets, late finishes, the lack of flexible working and a lack of consultation on changes at work.
Nearly a third of respondents reported having been diagnosed with a mental health problem and the vast majority of those said that their work contributed significantly in causing their mental health problem or had made it worse. Nearly two thirds (64%) reported missing days off work over the last 12 months as a result.
Tellingly nearly two thirds (64%) of respondents stated that their employer was not supportive or understanding to people with mental health issues.
Intolerable and unsustainable
Unite Ambulance Workers Committee chair Debbie Wilkinson said: “The fact that frontline ambulance staff who save lives on a daily basis are suffering such serious levels of stress and mental ill health is both intolerable and unsustainable.
“It is time for us to care for the carer.
“Unless these problems are taken seriously and tackled then a crisis caused by a lack of ambulance staff will occur.”
Wake up call
Unite national officer for health Colenzo Jarrett Thorpe said: “The survey’s findings must be a wake-up call to the sector.
“Unite will use the findings of the report to lobby individual trusts to remove the pressure from workers and tackle the mental ill health epidemic which is afflicting our members.”
The findings of the ambulance staff survey builds on previous surveys undertaken by Unite published last month. This found that 58% of both construction workers and bus drivers and half of lorry drivers (50%) said that working excessive hours had damaged their mental health.
The survey’s initial findings have been released to coincide with World Mental Health day today (Thursday 10 October). Around 550 respondents have so far taken part in the survey.
Epidemic levels
The survey found that over half of ambulance staff have suffered from anxiety (54%) while 44% recorded they had suffered from depression. Ambulance staff also disclosed that two thirds of them (67%) were excessively irritable or angry and over three quarters (77%) were suffering from stress. Nearly a fifth (17%) of respondents also reported trauma as a result of their work responding to life threatening emergencies.
The staff also recorded other problems including: tiredness (89%), problems with sleep (85%), generalised aches and pains (70%), poor diet/loss of appetite (64%), headaches (55%) and gastric problems (54%).
Excessive workloads
Workers recorded the primary reasons for experiencing stress at work were excessive workloads, unrealistic targets, late finishes, the lack of flexible working and a lack of consultation on changes at work.
Nearly a third of respondents reported having been diagnosed with a mental health problem and the vast majority of those said that their work contributed significantly in causing their mental health problem or had made it worse. Nearly two thirds (64%) reported missing days off work over the last 12 months as a result.
Tellingly nearly two thirds (64%) of respondents stated that their employer was not supportive or understanding to people with mental health issues.
Intolerable and unsustainable
Unite Ambulance Workers Committee chair Debbie Wilkinson said: “The fact that frontline ambulance staff who save lives on a daily basis are suffering such serious levels of stress and mental ill health is both intolerable and unsustainable.
“It is time for us to care for the carer.
“Unless these problems are taken seriously and tackled then a crisis caused by a lack of ambulance staff will occur.”
Wake up call
Unite national officer for health Colenzo Jarrett Thorpe said: “The survey’s findings must be a wake-up call to the sector.
“Unite will use the findings of the report to lobby individual trusts to remove the pressure from workers and tackle the mental ill health epidemic which is afflicting our members.”
The findings of the ambulance staff survey builds on previous surveys undertaken by Unite published last month. This found that 58% of both construction workers and bus drivers and half of lorry drivers (50%) said that working excessive hours had damaged their mental health.