Decision on new ambulance rest-break deal expected soon
A decision is expected early in the New Year on a revised offer to ambulance crews to break the deadlock in the long-running dispute over staff being asked to respond to 999 calls during their meal breaks.
Scottish Ambulance Service bosses have put forward an improved package, with the backing of the Scottish Government, to end the stalemate.
Paramedics and technicians will receive a one-off payment of £1,500 – equivalent to six years’ annual payments in advance – plus a payment of £100 each time their rest break is interrupted.
The offer is expected to be put to a ballot of union members in the new year.
The controversial meal break policy was called into question following the death of Tomintoul resident Mandy Mathieson in October, last year, and has continued on.
Ms Mathieson, who worked for the Cairngorms National Park Authority in Grantown, had a heart attack and died at her home in the village.
An ambulance technician stationed just 800 metres away refused to attend because he was on a meal break. It resulted in an ambulance crew being dispatched from Grantown 15 miles away, but medics were unable to save the 33 year old.
Just a few months later, there was a similar incident near Perth in which a three year old boy died.
However, there are some fears that this latest offer could lead to a two-tier ambulance service.
Ms Mathieson’s brother, Charles, a firefighter, said he was worried that the ambulance service could defer call-outs to save £200 a time – £100 per member of the two-person crew in every ambulance.
He was reported as saying: "My personal view is that if someone phones up 999, whether it’s somebody who has fallen and hurt themselves and they are in pain or they have had a funny turn or whatever, they should get an ambulance. You don’t want to prolong their agony."
Members of the three ambulance unions – Unison, Unite and GMB – will be balloted on the improved offer and the results are expected to be announced on January 6.
A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said they expect a formal response early in the new year. In the meantime, the current interim arrangements will continue to operate.
None of the unions is making any recommendations to their members about the latest offer.
A Scottish Ambulance Service offer of a one-off payment of £250 and compensatory overtime if crews worked through a rest period was resoundingly rejected in the Autumn.
