PARADEMICS are “resigning at unprecedented rates” amid tough working conditions which see staff waiting outside hospitals with patients for “10 or more hours” an insider has told the Gazette

A senior frontline East England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) staff member has lifted the lid on morale isues inside the service as staff battle against the odds.

The paramedic, who did not wish to be named, says EEAST is “haemorrhaging staff at an unprecedented rate” – claiming 40 staff had left the service in the last six months.

“Staff who are knackered are resigning,” the senior paramedic said.

“It is now normal to be alone with a patient on your vehicle at A&E as you and your crew mate will have been split to try and get more vehicles back on the road.

“You are with your patient for ten hours or more and shift lengths are now commonly 14 hours with no break.” 

They added: “Resignations are now being handed in weekly, so much so that it was joked on an email chain that the trust should have shares in Clinton’s for the amount that’s being spent on leaving cards.”

EEAST has been running at its highest level of operational pressure since summer 2021, with long queues of ambulances outside Southend Hospital’s A&E department becoming a regular site.

The paramedic claimed ambulance queues were being caused by a lack of “onward care packages” for hospital patients who are considered “medically fit for discharge.”

“Annual leave is being restricted for paramedics,” the whistle-blower claimed.

“Manning is at an all-time low with overtime texts from bosses literally begging remaining staff to come into man empty vehicles.”

An EEAST spokeman said: "The trust has been operating at its highest level of operational pressure (REAP 4) since late summer 2021 and continues to be challenged by lengthy handover delays at hospitals and increased demand.

"We moved to major incident standby on October 1 and have remained at that level of escalation to enable us to better direct our resources to focus on patient care and to work with our partners across health and social care to tackle the issues of delays.

"We recognise the impact this has on our people, and we are working hard to improve staff welfare and increase the resources we have available."