Stress causes quarter of paramedic sick days

Figures for the North East of England have revealed that stress-related illness accounted for more than a quarter of sick days taken by paramedics in the region.

The North East Ambulance Service, which covers Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Darlington and Teesside, revealed that its paramedics took 2,927 absence days due to anxiety, stress and depression between July 2017 and June 2018, representing 25.87 per cent of the total 11,310 sick days taken.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has reported that, with the average number of paramedics employed at the service last year sitting at 594, the stats show that each one lost an average of 4.9 days due to stress in those 12 months.

Caroline Thurlbeck, director of strategy, transformation and workforce, said: "Our absence rates are reflective of the physical and mental demands placed on our hard-working staff on a daily basis. Alongside the rest of the UK ambulance services, we have had a number of vacant posts for ambulance paramedics over the past few years but we continue our proactive recruitment campaign which has helped to ease the pressure on ambulance crews. We will continue to support our staff to manage their physical and mental health and wellbeing and reduce sickness absence across the trust."