Stressed staff cost £200k

Stressed-out ambulance staff in the West Midlands took more than 4,500 days off sick last year, costing health bosses more than £200,000.

Figures released to the Express & Star show paramedics and other employees were signed off as stressed for a total of 4,663 days in the last 12 months.

The absences cost the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust £204,000.

The trust covers the Black Country, Staffordshire, Birmingham, Coventry and Warwickshire as well as Herefordshire and Worcestershire and employs 3,500 staff.

All of the sick days were taken by just 78 people.

In the Black Country, Staffordshire and Birmingham, 2,633 sick days caused by stress were taken by 48 workers, costing the trust £156,136.

In Coventry and Warwickshire, 1,280 stress sick days were taken by 19 staff at a cost of £12,800. And in Herefordshire and Worcestershire 750 sick days were lost through 11 members of staff taking sick leave at a cost of £35,396.

Earlier this year it was revealed that attacks on ambulance staff in the West Midlands are on the increase, with almost one crew a day suffering abuse or violence.

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman Claudine Weeks said measures had been put in place to help those who need it.

And she added: "Our staff are our most valued asset.

"We offer an extensive level of occupational health care and counselling services for all our staff should they need them.

"A comprehensive range of welfare and support is also available for all staff and we offer flexible working and special leave arrangements.

"We have a network of debriefers and clinical support and training school tutors available in addition to line managers, should staff wish to discuss in confidence any jobs they have attended that were complex or very emotional.

"Additionally the trust has and continues to invest in protected post qualification annual update training for all staff to ensure staff are up to date within their professional areas."