More than 3,000 ambulance and paramedic jobs are vacant in the NHS, the highest number in five years, new data showed.
Ministers acknowledged that the number of vacancies in England’s 10 ambulance trusts had tripled in the last two years.
The figures highlight the scale of the labor shortage crisis, which has in some cases led to unprecedented strikes.
Labor accused the government of failing to train the staff needed for the National Health Service, which in turn led to record waiting times for ambulances.
Thousands of paramedics and ambulance drivers from Unite and GMB are currently on strike in England, with more strikes planned across the UK in the coming days.
In a parliamentary response to Shadow Health Minister Wes Streeting, Health Minister Will Ivins announced that as of September 2022, the latest data available, there were 3,334 vacancies for full-time or equivalent positions in Ambulance Trusts across England.
This is almost double what it was a year ago, when there were 1,749 vacancies, and more than triple what it was in September 2020, when there were 990 vacancies.
In 2018 and 2019, the number of vacancies was 2,846 and 2,011, respectively.
Mr Streeting said: “The Conservatives have failed to train the staff the NHS needs and patients are paying the price of the longest wait for an ambulance.
“Victims of heart attacks and strokes have had to wait an average of an hour and a half this winter, and every minute counts. Patients have lost confidence that the National Health Service is always ready to help them in an emergency.
“The following month, Jeremy Hunt was linked to Labor’s budget plan for the largest staff increase in NHS history, paid for by the abolition of non-homes. Rishi Sunak should finally meet with NHS staff to negotiate an end to strikes disrupting patient care.”
GMB National Secretary Rachel Harrison said: “ER workers are leaving the service en masse due to a sharp cut in real wages and appalling conditions.
“The National Health Service is on the verge of collapse, but this government is trying to pretend that this is not happening.
“Until ministers resolve the most important issue — wages — the health sector will continue to face this devastating recruitment and retention crisis.
“This is why the GMB paramedics are on strike. Now the government has to talk about wages. We are waiting.”
A spokesman for the prime minister said: “We are investing heavily in emergency care through the Emergency Response Plan with 800 new ambulances and additional staff funding.
“We are investing billions in our NHS to work on staff growth.”
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.