US EditionNHS 999 Staff Quitting and Suffering Burnout over ‘Pressure’ of Calls – Research
- A report presented at Unison's annual conference in Liverpool highlighted that over 25% of staff working in NHS ambulance control rooms have left their positions in the past three years due to burnout and the intense pressure of the role.
- The research attributes this high turnover and burnout to the relentless pressure of calls, often distressing, alongside limited resources and insufficient support for 999 call handlers.
- Data from 11 ambulance trusts reveal that call handlers were absent due to illness for over 500,000 days between April 2021 and 2024, including 166,940 days lost in the 2023/24 year alone, contributing to delays in emergency response times.
- Unison general secretary Christina McAnea highlighted that the research reveals serious challenges affecting 999 control room workers and emphasized the need for improved health and wellbeing support for these staff members.
- Despite government plans to modernise the NHS with AI and new ambulances, the spending review overlooked staff wellbeing, risking undermining improvements and highlighting the need for a balanced approach investing in workforce support.
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15 Articles
Investing in NHS staff wellbeing could produce economic benefits the UK desperately needs
Drazen Zigic/ShutterstockHealth emerged as a major beneficiary in the UK government’s recent spending review. It highlighted a clear ambition to modernise public services — particularly the NHS — through digital transformation and expanded use of artificial intelligence (AI). Investments in initiatives such as a single-patient NHS record would consolidate all of a patient’s data in one place, potentially accessible through an app. It could signi…
Ambulance call handlers quitting over 'cries for help they can't answer' - The Mirror
A new report shows 999 call handlers increasingly going off sick and quitting because they feel helpless to help as NHS ambulance waits have increased and they face the brunt of public anger
Evening Standard
NHS 999 staff quitting and suffering burnout over ‘pressure’ of calls – research
New figures obtained by Unison showed high turnover rates among call handlers.
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