Covid-19 stress impacts working hours

Around 634 working hours were lost last year by ambulance staff in Perth and Kinross dealing with stress, anxiety or depression, new figures reveal.

The figures – from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to the Scottish Ambulance Service – show the number of hours lost between March 1 2020 and February 28 this year.

Liz Smith, who represented Perthshire South and Kinrossshire, described the figures as “worrying”.

She said: “This last year has been unprecedented for almost all of us, so it is not surprising to find out that some ambulance crews suffered from issues such as stress, anxiety and depression during the pandemic.”

The Scottish Ambulance Service says it has implemented a programme to support its staff members.

Support provisions put into place include wallet-sized cards with key mental health contacts, counselling services through the Employee Assistance Programme, and a chaplaincy service.

Meanwhile, the ambulance service’s staff-written blog and yoga sessions offer further support.

In a statement in the FOI response, a spokesman said: “We take the mental health of our staff very seriously, which is why we have developed a robust programme to support them.

“Managers work closely with staff to encourage them to report any concerns about their welfare and we provide assistance and funding for staff seeking professional counselling services and occupational health services.

“The Scottish Ambulance Service has and continuously reviews a varied range of support tools.”