UNISON YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE BRANCH PRESS STATEMENT

UNISON YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE BRANCH IS DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER THE ENFORCED CHANGES THAT THE YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE HAS MADE TODAY.

UNISON FULLY UNDERSTANDS THE PRESSURE THE TRUST IS UNDER TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE, HOWEVER WE CANNOT SUPPORT THEM DOING THIS  BY SENDING NON CLINICIANS TO THE HIGHEST PRIORITY OF CALLS THE SERVICE RECEIVES, OUR PRIORITY IS OUR MEMBERS AND THE PATIENTS THEY SERVE.

WE DO NOT WANT TO HAVE OUR MEMBERS, MANY OF WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ON THE SERVICE LONG, BEING PLACED IN A POSITION THAT DUE TO NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN A SITUATION THEY ARE UNABLE TO DEAL WITH, NEITHER DO WE WANT TO GIVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC  A FALSE EXPECTATION OF THE SKILLS OF THE CREW ARRIVING TO HELP THEM IN, POTENTIALLY ONE OF THE WORST SITUATIONS OF THEIR LIVES.

THE EMERGENCY CARE ASSISTANT ROLE IS ONE OF PROVIDING SUPPORT TO THE CLINICIAN; IT IS NOT A CLINICAL ROLE.

THE EMERGENCY CARE ASSISTANT ROLE WAS INTRODUCED IN APRIL 2013 AND WITH THIS INTRODUCTION AROUND 350 OF OUR EXISTING STAFF WERE ‘EFFECTIVELY DOWNGRADED’ AND THE SKILLS THAT THEY HAD RESTRICTED, THESE NUMBERS OF LOWER GRADE STAFF HAVE SINCE BEEN INCREASED TO AROUND 800.

PLEASE BE CLEAR THAT THESE ARE 2 NON CLINICIANS, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE DEDICATED AND ENTHUSIASTIC MEMBER OF STAFF THAT WISH TO BE TRAINED TO A LEVEL WHERE THEY CAN DO WHAT IS BEEN ASKED OF THEM, YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE HAS CHOSEN TO NOT TRAIN THESE STAFF TO THAT APPROPRIATE LEVEL REQUIRED AND HAVE DELIBERATELY RESTRICTED THE PRACTICE OF MANY IN ORDER TO SAVE MONEY.

WE STILL WANT TO SEE OUR MEMBERS UPGRADED AND GIVEN THE TRAINING TO THE LEVEL REQUIRED BY THE TRUST IN ORDER TO TURN THE SERVICE ROUND, WE IMPLORE THE MANAGEMENT OF YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE TO RETHINK THEIR STANCE AND COME BACK TO TALKS WITH UNISON IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THIS SITUATION AS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO GIVE THE PUBLIC OF YORKSHIRE THE SERVICE THEY EXPECT AND DESERVE.