Strike threat over ambulance staff shortages

STRIKE action could be taken by ambulance staff in Caithness over concerns about the lack of cover in the area.

GMB union spokesman John Marr hopes the issue can be resolved at meetings that are to take place with the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS).

But he warned yesterday: "If they do not come up with some solution we will speak to our members and see what they want to do.

"We acknowledge that more staff have been put into Caithness, but it is how they are used that is our concern. There are still times when the area has no cover whatsoever."

Mr Marr said the problem arises when local crews have to transfer patients to hospitals in Inverness.

"We understand that needs to be done but there should be one paramedic crew at any one time on duty in Caithness to respond to any emergency," he said.

Concerns have also been raised about the hours employees are having to work and issues relating to fatigue.

But Mr Marr said: "Staff are not looking for a pay rise or more holidays but want to ensure there is a safety net there for the people of Caithness. They want the community to be covered and are fighting their corner."

A meeting was held between the GMB union and the Scottish Ambulance Service on Wednesday and further meetings are scheduled, Mr Marr said.

"I hope there is a satisfactory conclusion to this. We have not balloted our members as we want to see what SAS comes back with," he added.

The majority of ambulance staff in Caithness are in the GMB but the Unite union also has members in the county.

Unite confirmed that 75 per cent of its members in the Highlands and Islands and Grampian area have given the union a mandate for an industrial ballot if required.

The union is concerned about the hours being worked by ambulance staff – a concern shared by the GMB.

It is claimed one SAS employee worked up to 36 hours and another 23 hours in a shift that should only last 12 hours.

A Caithness paramedic said there was a four-hour period between 4am and 8am on September 21 when there was no cover based in the county.

"If there had been an emergency in Caithness the nearest paramedic support would have been the on-call ambulances in either Bettyhill or Lairg," he said.

A spokesman for SAS said productive meetings have been held with the GMB and Unite unions.

"Over the next five years we will be training 1000 new paramedics, including recruiting more staff in the north of Scotland," he said. "This includes nine new posts in Caithness, which has allowed Wick and Thurso ambulance stations to move to 24/7 shifts, removing on-call working, and we have reduced on-call working hours.

"We remain fully committed to working in partnership with our staff representatives."