AMBU-LUNCH SERVICE
Bosses order paramedics to take set meal breaks–which could save £700k 54% of readers in Echo poll vote against controversial new moves
Paramedics on Wearside are being ordered to take meal breaks in a specific time window as part of a new trial which could save hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Crews working for the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) used to be given £5 from the organisation if they missed or had to have a late meal during their shifts.
Now chiefs have introduced staggered meal breaks between 9am and noon, while control will restrict crews responses to ‘Red One’ calls, the most serious incidents such as people who are not breathing and do not have a pulse.
In an article in the NEAS staff magazine, it is said between 40 and 50% of operational staff are receiving late meal breaks on a daily basis.
The report says: “Late meal breaks occur when a high number of calls are categorised as life-threatening and as a result of workforce issues, increased job cycle times and excessive hospital handover times.
“They can result in fatigued staff, which can have an impact on patient safety and the costs associated have been estimated at over £700,000 each year along with a loss of productivit yand reduced capacity.”
Paramedic crews wit hthe service are required to take two half-an-hour meal breaks during their 12-hour shifts.
Bosses have denied that the move is designed to save money and said that tired staff are more likely to make mistakes, making it important that they have taken breaks and feel refreshed before treating patients.
Union chiefs say the yare aware of the ongoing situation with meal breaks within the service and that members have raised the issue of patient safety with managers.
But one worker wit hthe service, who wished t oremain anonymous, today claimed that lives wer ebeing put at risk as ambulances must be off road while staff are taking the breaks. The employed said: "This practice is having an effect of taking emergency ambulances off the road for meal breaks thus not being able to respond to potentially life-threatening emergencies.
“This is a practice that most if not all frontline ambulance staff feel very strongly about we are very much against this practice, yet are afraid to speak out for fear of reprisal.
“In short, this new trial is and has put lives at risk.”
Speaking in the magazine for staff at NEAS Paul Liversidge, chief operating officer at the organisation, said: “Employees have been telling us that meal breaks were one of the biggest frustrations and as a result it has been high on our agenda.
“Staff welfare is key to patient safety and we know how much late meal breaks impact upon crews.
“We need everyone’s support to help make this trial a reality for all emergency care staff so that we can minimise the times where operational staff receive late breaks, whilst still meeting the needs of the public who dial 999 to access services.”
Bosses also argue that the move will result in a more even availability of resources tore spond to Red Two calls, classed as serious but not lifethreatening.
The service usuall y receives 35 Red One calls out of a total of 1,050 calls per day.
Unison regional organiser Helen Coomer said: “Uniso is aware of the ongoing meal break trial that N arec urrently running.
“Whilst we welcome initiative that means hard-working member getting their meal brea an appropriate and tim
manner while maintaining patient safety, woeful evels of NHS funding in particular in the ambulance sector means taht out members areaalready over stretched and working under tremendous pressure making their rest breaks more important than ever.
“Patient safety is also paramount to our members and we are aware that where they have concerns they have been raised with NEAS management who are fully investigating them as part of the ongoing trial.”