Storm in a teacup: Shropshire hospital trust insists it 'supports' ambulance staff over access to hot drinks
A hospital trust says paramedics have its 'support' after they raised concerns about access to food and hot drinks for patients - and themselves.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service worker reported that staff had been told they could no longer access free sandwiches or drinks at Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) sites. The trust runs both Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.
The worker explained that ambulance staff who sit outside hospital with patients waiting for admission to A&E have previously been able to use a small kitchen area to take sandwiches or hot drinks for their patients or themselves.
But they explained that in recent days ambulance workers had been stunned when told they could no longer access the kitchen room.
They added that they had also been told they were not allowed any tea or coffee - but would be allowed hot water.
The worker said they had been told to speak to the navigating nurse for the A&E or housekeeping to get food and drink for patients.
When contacted about the issue the hospital trust told the Shropshire Star it had listened to 'feedback' from the ambulance workers, and offered reassurance that "paramedics will have our support and full access to our facilities to care for their wellbeing".
It added that it is important that its own clinicians "provide and have oversight" of food and drink given to patients during their care.
The ambulance worker described the situation as "laughable if it weren't so serious" and said their colleagues were finding it "ridiculous".
SaTH has seen some of the county's most significant ambulance handover delays, where patients and paramedics have on occasions had to wait for ten hours before being admitted to the hospital.
The ambulance worker added: "Previously you would go in there and it is an accepted fact that you're working on behalf of the hospital and you are NHS staff and you should not have to ask to look after your patients."
A spokeswoman for SaTH said: “We want to thank our colleagues in the ambulance service who do an incredible job in very difficult circumstances. We have listened to their feedback and reassured the service that their paramedics will have our support and full access to our facilities to care for their wellbeing.
“It is important that our clinicians provide and have oversight of patients’ nutrition and hydration during their care. We will continue to work together with crews to ensure our patients arriving by ambulance are supported and cared for.”
