A PARAMEDIC has spoken out about the row over working conditions between Great Western Ambulance Service and Unison.

Chris Hewett, 33, who has been a paramedic for 10 years, claims management at GWAS have ignored staff’s concerns over new shift patterns introduced in November last year.

Discussions took place between the two parties until the early evening last Friday at the ACAS offices in Bristol, but no resolution was reached and the talks are set to resume again this Friday.

Talks follow a ballot of 600 Unison members on whether they wanted to take industrial action and 96 per cent voted in favour.

The changes to shift patterns include different start times – in Wiltshire most 12-hour shifts were 7am to 7pm or 7pm to 7am, but now start times range between 5am and 9am, or 5pm and 9pm. Mr Hewett said: “We are a caring profession – that’s the soundbite you always hear – and to threaten going on strike almost feels like blasphemy.

“But what people have to realise is that this is something that has been going on for a long time and it seems to be the only way to get the ambulance service to listen to us.

“We are convinced there are significant problems with the rota and there has been a complete lack of respect in the way some people have been treated by senior management.”

Mr Hewett, who is based in Bristol, said at first the change was welcomed.

“I’m a progressive person and I want change and this is probably overdue,” he said.

“Until these changes were brought in November we were still operating like we were when we were three separate ambulance services.

“You’ve got to expect things to be moving and changing and it was quite exciting to start with.

“We were told every single member of staff would be sat down and asked how the changes would affect them.

“But it seems to have been a sham and a paper exercise. I feel cheated by that.

“Some of the changes are just completely impractical for both staff and the ambulance service. And anybody who raised their head above the parapet have been told they will have their contract terminated.

“I know of 40 people who have had that threat and one person has been dismissed in fact.

“I think patients would be worried – what they would be thinking is we have got a breakdown in the relationship between staff and employers. All eyes will be on GWAS.”

A spokesman for GWAS said the service was looking to increase rather than cut jobs, while the staff consultation process had produced good feedback, which had been acted on.

He said: “All 1,000 operational staff had meetings on why the shift changes were happening and we tried and spent a huge amount of effort to fit in with requirements.

“There was very, very clear feedback which we took on board. For example staff overwhelmingly wanted to keep 12-hour shifts rather than move to eight or 10-hours.

“If 11 people in a team are happy and one is not and won’t take any of the alternatives offered then what do we do with those people? We don’t want to lose any members of staff.”