Dear Santa,
Great news! You don’t have to deliver the presents by Christmas Day any more as we have changed the targets! January 3rd will do! It’s got nothing to do with politics (or panic), honest!
Oh, and by the way, can you help us out on your way through?
There is no truth in the rumour that London ambulances are having their sirens removed to be replaced by the Beatles song Help! being played through loudspeakers!
London Ambulance Service needs help. The capital’s Ambulance Service can’t cope on its own. It pains me to even write that. How have we got to this state?
Our front door has been thrown wide open.
Private Company? Come in, you’re welcome.
Voluntary Organisation? Come in, you’re welcome.
Australian? Come over, you’re welcome.
Interim Director? Come in, you’re welcome.
Unfortunately the back door is also open and staff are walking out of it.
In a Blog post that I wrote on 13th February 2013 entitled ‘Don’t Blame The Staff’ I started it by boasting “I work for the best Ambulance Service in Britain!”
Just a year and ten months later I don’t believe that I could look anyone in the eye and say the same thing! I was telling the truth then and my heart was positive. I am telling the truth now and my heart is sinking.
I work with the best ambulance staff in Britain in my view, there is no doubt about that, but I do not work for the best Service any more.
Even if it is true that all Ambulance Services are struggling and under pressure, the LAS (from being proclaimed the ‘Best Service in UK’ not so long ago) has higher to fall from, longer to drop and further to fall.
Bump! If this isn’t rock bottom, I fear to think what is.
This is not normal. This is not just going through a bad blip which all organisations go through at times. This is serious!
Staff and managers that I have known for a long time are walking around demoralised, disconnected and defeated. No Listening Into Action, Team Talk or Staff Recognition Awards will convince them that their Service, the Service that they have devoted so much time, energy and enthusiasm to, is not on its way to complete collapse!
In 2013 ‘A Time For Change’ was published.
At Christmas 2014 the wish has been granted: Times have Changed!
Changed from a great Service to a poor Service. Changed from a positive workforce to a negative workforce. Changed from proud professionals to professionals that have had pride slowly sucked out of them. Changed from a public-admired Service to a public complaints Service. Changed from a Service where most staff couldn’t wait to come in, to a Service where most staff can’t wait to get out.
The problems within our Service go far deeper than the political onslaught the NHS and Ambulance Services have endured from the Coalition government. That onslaught, of course, shouldn’t be underestimated nor forgotten in all of this.
The Coalition would happily stand by and watch our Service go down the pan. Happily stand by and watch our Service be privatised. Happily stand by and watch decent people walk away. Happily stand by and watch our reputation go up in smoke. Happily stand by and hear us cry for help.
The worry is that the way things are going we are helping them achieve all of that.
Someone has to press the stop button! Don’t blame the staff and don’t blame the public.
UNISON’s six demands to help get us back on the road to recovery are not going away.
- All Paramedics should be in Band 6.
- Re-think the role of the Senior Paramedic.
- Secure the future of Technicians.
- Make it easier, and affordable, for our own staff to study to become Paramedics.
- Make it financially attractive for staff to stay with LAS.
- Create a ‘London package’ for all our staff to be a unique benefit working for LAS.
There should be a seventh one: give us back our pride!
New Year. New Start. New Service. Real Change.
I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year!
Those who are working, stay safe and thank you.
Santa! Return to station!
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 Information on all issues can be found elsewhere on our website.
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If you are reading this, work for the London Ambulance Service or are eligible to join, and are not yet a member of UNISON Join Today!
We are stronger together.
Eric Roberts
Branch Secretary.
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