Note of clarity
This week GMB published a media release about ambulance service staff stress, incorrectly stating that 23% of East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) paramedics and emergency care assistants have taken time off work due to stress, anxiety or depression.
The correct figure is 15.19% - a 237 headcount against a total number of paramedics and emergency care assistant staff headcount of 1,560.
The health and wellbeing of our all of our staff, both frontline and enabling services, remains an absolute priority.
We understand that not all stress, anxiety or depression is work related and that life challenges and personal circumstances beyond our control can affect staff too.
The support services and networks that we have in place at EMAS are there to help colleagues with both work and personal challenges and include:
- A network of volunteers in our Peer to Peer and Pastoral Care Worker schemes - these are colleagues who are trained by EMAS to listen and support one another. Our model has been nationally recognised as best practice and has been adopted by other NHS and blue-light organisations.
- A full time Chaplain and Staff Support Lead in post – EMAS is the only ambulance service to have this position.
- Trained TRiM practitioners (Trauma Risk Management) – these colleagues are trained in the military approach to support staff who have attended traumatic incidents.
- PAM Assist 24/7 confidential phone line and Occupational Health Services.
- Managers have been trained in anxiety, stress and depression to help support staff struggling with mental health difficulties.
- We’re running resilience and wellbeing workshops in our Emergency Operations Centre to support staff to manage their wellbeing.
- Our weekly electronic staff magazine has featured articles from our Mental Health Lead and Freedom to Speak Up Guardian giving advice and sign posting colleagues to useful resources or services that can provide mental health advice and support.
- We have a zero tolerance approach to any level of abuse or assault against our staff. Our Local Security Management Specialist team work with staff to support them through the process of giving statements to the Police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure the defendant receives the appropriate punishment.
We will continue to explore new ways to support colleagues, and continue to work closely with partners including The Ambulance Service Charity (@TASCharity) and Mind Blue Light (@mindbluelight).