DORSET’S ambulance service is battling to fill hundreds of frontline vacancies as the NHS struggles to cope with the increasing number of staff resignations.

South Western Ambulance Service (SWAST) says around 1,600 staff including paramedics and support staff left the trust since April 2016. 

SWAST, which provides emergency and urgent care as well as patient transport services employs more than 5,000 staff since it merged with Great Western Ambulance Service in February 2013.

The figures also showed that 1,120 people were signed off work with a stress-related illness during the same period.

The figures come after employees made calls last November for the chief executive of SWAST, Ken Wenman, to resign in order to protect patients and staff.

The letter from union members says that although they love what they do, they “are struggling to maintain a crumbling service” which they claim is being deliberately underfunded by the government and poorly managed at a local level.

Sarah Carpenter, head of health at the union Unite, said a new pay deal for paramedics announced recently would help tackle staff shortages.

But she added: “It’s not just about the money. Older paramedics, who have protected pensions, are voting with their feet because they have simply had enough.

“In some ambulance services, there are reports of long, busy shifts, late or non-existent meal breaks and continuing levels of sickness due to anxiety and stress.”

Christina McAnea, Unison’s head of health said ambulance crews were being “stretched far too thinly” describing the pressures staff as “intolerable”.

She added: “Many experienced paramedics are leaving in search of less stressful jobs which don’t take such a toll on their health and home lives. The result is delays, with many ambulances taking too long to reach patients with life-threatening conditions.”

A spokesman for SWAST said staff were the greatest and most important asset to the service.

They added: “We could not deliver our services without them and we invest a great deal in making sure our staff are safe and supported.

“We absolutely recognise the increasing pressure that our staff are under and are working hard to address this and ensure our staff are supported.”

They also said they had a variety of ongoing programmes which would allow them to work and to find ways to end shift overruns, ensure breaks are taken on time and the work-life balance is taken into account.