Working conditions are 'horrendous', striking Northern Ireland paramedic warns

Speaking at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast as thousands of health workers across Northern Ireland went on strike, Gabriel McComish said there is a need for change within the health service and attitude towards public services.

“We have an increase in population, increased numbers and a reduced workforce, we have people leaving on an annual basis for new opportunities within health organisations around the UK and private health,” he told the PA news agency.

“We need to hold on to staff and the only way you can hold on to staff is to respect us, don’t disrespect us because once you start to disrespect us, people will leave and the community will suffer.

“Year after year we have seen cuts in funding and we have seen our colleagues leave early, retiring early, becoming sick or leaving for other industries.

“I have been in the service 20 years, and what I’m seeing now is people who have been in maybe 10 to 15 years considering going into other industries where they’re better respected, they have better hours and better salaries – the job that they came in to do isn’t there anymore.”

Mr McComish said with the ongoing crisis in hospitals, paramedics are spending hours after their shift ended waiting outside Emergency Departments.

“We’re struggling to get finished on time on a daily basis, day after day after day our crews are being held up three to four hours after their finishing time, they can’t get home to their families, they can’t get their annual leave. They’re tired and depressed about the whole situation,” he said.

He said workers are determined to stand tall and fight back.

“Morale at the minute is quite high because when you’re in a situation where you’re up against a wall, you have to fight back so people are standing firm and tall, we have a fight on our hands and we’re going to fight until this is resolved,” he said.

“We need this government to come in and start talking to us properly.”