FOI 26-051 Gastrointestinal or Stress/Burnout Figures
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-051 Gastrointestinal or Stress/Burnout Figures
- Request Date
- 27 Jan 2026
- Response Date
- 03 Mar 2026
- Information Requested
To whom it may concern, Please may I know;
Total number of HCPC registered paramedics in all roles?
Total number of operational days lost due to back pain affecting HCPC registered paramedics in all roles?
Total number of operational days lost due to gastrointestional issues affecting HCPC registered paramedics in all roles?
Total number of operational days lost due to stress, depression, anxiety, burnout and/or other mental health issues, affecting HCPC registered paramedics in all roles?
Total number of non registered clinicians and clinical support in all patient facing A&E ops roles?
Total number of operational days lost due to back pain affecting non registered clinicians and clinical support in all patient facing A&E ops roles?
Total number of operational days lost due to gastrointestinal issues affecting non registered clinicians and clinical support in all patient facing A&E ops roles?
Total number of operational days lost due to stress, depression, anxiety, burnout and/or other mental health issues affecting non registered clinicians and clinical support in all patient facing A&E ops roles?
What preventative messures of education and/or equipment and/or policies do the trust employ to prevent or reduce back injuries?
What preventative messures of education and/or equipment and/or policies do the trust employ to prevent or reduce gasttrointestional issues/?
What preventative messures of education and/or equipment and/or policies do the trust employ to prevent or reduce stress, depression, anxiety, burnout and/or other mental health issues?
What is in place for the trust to manage an individual while off work due to any cause of allment or illness?
Operational days = FTE (full time equivelent) / working shifts not rest days.
- Response
The wellbeing of our hardworking staff is a key priority for the Service, and we have put additional measures in place and increased support over the last year in line with our Health and Wellbeing Strategy. We have also been working in partnership with key hospital sites to reduce delays in patient handover.
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not record staff absence in “days lost”. Absence is recorded and held in hours.
This is because the Service operates a range of roster patterns and shift lengths, meaning that a “day” is not a consistent or meaningful unit of measurement across roles or individuals.
As a result, the information held and available for disclosure is recorded in hours only. The absence information provided in response to this request has therefore been supplied as total hours lost, as this reflects the way the information is held by the Service.
Please see the attached sheet detailing the absence information requested.
Below are the total staff counts at the start of each financial year; 1st April 2023, 1st of April 2024 and 1st April 2025. These figures can fluctuate throughout the year as staff leave and more staff are recruited.
- 1st April 2023:
Care Assistants (including PTS Team Leaders) - 834
Paramedics (including A&E Team Leaders) - 1909
Technicians - 1720
- 1st April 2024:
Care Assistants (including PTS Team Leaders) - 776
Paramedics (including A&E Team Leaders) - 2104
Technicians - 1554
- 1st April 2025:
Care Assistants (including PTS Team Leaders) - 747
Paramedics (including A&E Team Leaders) - 2226
Technicians - 1500
What preventative measures of education and/or equipment and/or policies do the trust employ to prevent or reduce back injuries?
The Scottish Ambulance Service reduces musculoskeletal risk through mandatory Manual Handling training and refreshers, task‑specific risk assessments and safe systems of work for common scenarios (e.g., moving equipment over uneven ground, vehicle loading). This is supported by provision and use of appropriate patient‑handling equipment (e.g., carry chairs, trolley cots, bariatric systems) with documented safe‑working loads and item‑specific guidance. For desk‑based roles, we apply our DSE policy and workstation assessments to minimise posture‑related strain. These arrangements sit within our corporate Health & Safety framework and auditing approach.
What preventative measures of education and/or equipment and/or policies do the trust employ to prevent or reduce gastrointestinal issues/?
The Scottish Ambulance Service follow the National Infection Prevention & Control Manual (NIPCM) and maintain a Service IPC guidance library and education framework for staff. Controls include food‑hygiene procedures for stations/premises, recorded cleaning and decontamination schedules for vehicles, stations and equipment, and water‑safety/legionella risk assessment and monitoring. Compliance is supported through routine auditing against standard IPC precautions and internal committee oversight
What preventative measures of education and/or equipment and/or policies do the trust employ to prevent or reduce stress, depression, anxiety, burnout and/or other mental health issues?
Our Health & Wellbeing Strategy 2024–27 (Staying Well) prioritises prevention and early intervention. We operate a Healthy Mind Policy and a Wellbeing Policy, supported by guidance and Health Passports to agree reasonable workplace adjustments. Staff have access to support via the Wellbeing & Support hub (including EAP/Occupational Health routes) and TRiM for post‑incident psychological support. Individual stress risks are assessed using our established process aligned to the HSE Stress Management Standards.
- Response Documents
