Ambulance staff leave being denied, warns union

NHS ambulance staff have missed out on holidays, weddings and funerals because leave requests have been denied despite being made up to a year in advance, a union said.

Unison conducted a survey of 100 employees at the East of England Ambulance Service and found 99% had had trouble booking leave in the last six months.

One staff member told the union they had had to work a single day in the middle of a booked leave period because there was "poor cover", despite requesting the leave four months in advance, meaning they missed out on family trips.

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust said it would work with the unions to address issues.

Unison said that more than 80% of those who responded to its survey had been told to work a day in the middle of booked holiday periods, stopping them from attending planned trips and events.

One staff member said they had leave for a terminally ill relative's birthday turned down.

The trust noted that recent changes to patient care had led to a 10-minute reduction in emergency response times.

Unison warned that while the performance of the services had improved in the last year, there was a risk of staff burnout.

The union's branch secretary Mark Wrigley said: "No-one goes into the ambulance service thinking it'll be an easy ride; it's always going to be stressful when you're dealing with life-or-death situations.

"But that's precisely why it's so important staff are able to take a break, to spend time with family, go away with their loved ones or just generally wind down."

He noted that to attract and keep staff the trust should find a "sustainable solution".

The ambulance trust's chief executive Neill Moloney said: "We have taken decisive action to improve the experience of our staff, including increasing annual leave allowances to their highest level in recent years, helping more people take the time off they need.

"We recognise there is more to do. We meet with our unions regularly and are working closely with unions at pace to address remaining issues such as 'stranded' shifts, while continuing to support both our people and safe, effective services for the public."

Do you have a story suggestion? Contact us below.

Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk or BBC Suffolk.