Study Shows Ambulance Staff Often Witness Patient Deaths Due to Delays
More than 80 percent of paramedics have experienced workplace abuse as hospital delays continue to create a cycle of frustration.
A study revealed that a quarter of ambulance workers have witnessed patient deaths due to delays in the past three years.
Surveying nearly 3,000 ambulance workers across the UK, the study found that almost half had to spend their entire shift waiting outside an A&E department.
Verbal abuse affected over 80 percent of the workforce, with one third reporting physical attacks within the three-year timeframe.
The survey included insights from ambulance workers, control center staff, 999, and 111 call handlers.
One worker recounted arriving at a cardiac arrest scene marked as a code “yellow” for 10 hours, only to find the patient dead with the phone still in their hands.
Other workers described distressing situations like patients dying in hospital corridors, being left in ambulances for days, and being advised to make their own way to the hospital, resulting in some deaths en route.
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“The horrific stories shared by our ambulance workers unveil the dire state of our NHS,” said GMB National Secretary Rachel Harrison.
“Years of austerity, rising demand, and staff shortages have left the service struggling to cope,” she added.
Harrison emphasized the importance of investing in the NHS workforce to sustain the health service.
‘Unbelievable Waits’
GMB member Simon Day addressed the increase in mental health issues among first responders at the annual congress on Monday.
Day highlighted how delays, compounded by COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, have led to verbal and physical attacks on ambulance workers, escalating workplace stress.
Employers were criticized for failing their duty of care and dismissing mental health concerns as lack of resilience.
In addition to those who witnessed patient deaths due to delays, a third of ambulance workers are aware of similar cases.
A report from the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust indicated improvements in waiting times following increased funding.
CEO Daniel Elkeles acknowledged the high demand for services and praised the efforts of his teams in meeting patient needs amid the pressure.
The Epoch Times has reached out to NHS England and the Conservative Party for comments on the GMB study.
Private care was sought primarily to avoid NHS waiting lists, according to the report.
