Unpaid leave for ambulance personnel

The National Ambulance Service and trade union Siptu are set for talks at the Labour Relations Commission over concerns that pregnant paramedics may be forced to take unpaid time off before their maternity leave starts.

Pregnant paramedics undergo risk assessments, the outcome of which can see the staff member in question deployed to take on other more suitable duties.

However, Siptu officials claim that an instance has arisen where the ambulance service has determined that no other duties are available for a staff member who is pregnant, and instead of offering her alternative work have instead placed her on unpaid leave.

This would leave pregnant staff members unpaid for the time from when they were relieved of their duties until their maternity leave commences. Siptu spokesman Ted Kenny said the issue has arisen in the Cork/ Kerry region in the last 18 months, but will have ramifications for ambulance workers across the country.

“We are due before the Labour Relations Committee next Tuesday. If things aren’t settled there we will go to a full hearing of the court and, depending on its outcome, we will decide our next course of action after consultation with our members,” Mr Kenny said.

The National Ambulance Service said it operates a ‘Protecting Pregnancy at Work Policy’ which has been developed to protect staff during pregnancy and to ensure compliance with existing legislation.

“A risk assessment is carried out for all pregnant employees of the National Ambulance Service,” it read.

“Based on the outcome of the assessment a number of options are discussed with the staff member as each assessment is on an individual bases.

“Options could include suitable alternative working arrangements if necessary to protect the staff member and her pregnancy. The National Ambulance Service works closely with our staff during pregnancy to ensure that additional advice and support is provided to staff and if needed supports are obtained from the Occupational Health Departments within the HSE,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Leo Varadkar yesterday opened the service’s new headquarters in Tallaght, Dublin. The building houses the National Emergency Operations Centre where 999 and 112 calls are received and emergency paramedic teams are dispatched.

The service says its new facility enables it to see all available paramedic teams and vehicles in real time, allowing controllers to dispatch the closest available resource to an emergency once a call is received.

The centre also houses the aero-medical co-ordination centre and the National Ambulance Service College where all ambulance service emergency medical technicians, paramedics and advanced paramedics will receive training and ongoing revalidation. Mr Varadkar said the new centre allows the ambulance service to operate as a national fleet, rather than regionally.

“Not that long ago, the ambulance service did little more than transport patients to hospital. Now emergency care is delivered on the scene by highly-trained paramedics before the patient even gets to hospital. We also have rapid response vehicles and an air ambulance alongside the regular ambulance fleet,” he said.