AMBULANCE staff are suffering from stress to a greater extent than medics who served in Afghanistan, according to one worker.

The comment featured in a report compiled by the Unison union, which suggested 90 per cent of staff at North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) are suffering from stress.

Another crew member told the union that 'everybody is leaving' due to the strains, while another said concerns raised with managers have 'usually fallen on deaf ears or actually made the situation much worse'.

The union surveyed 153 staff at the trust, which was forced to find savings of more than £6 million within its emergency services last year and has been struggling to cope with a surge in 999 calls.

But bosses at NWAS hit back, saying the survey only represented about three per cent of the workforce, and last year's official NHS survey suggested just half the workforce had suffered stress.

Amy Barringer, Unison's head of health in the North West, said: “The pressure on ambulance staff is reaching dangerously high levels.

“It is unacceptable that the current system doesn’t allow for proper breaks between shifts. Workers have told us they often work 14-hour shifts without a decent break.

“Higher call out rates and lengthy waits outside A&E departments are adding to the problem. It is clear that the pressure caused by government funding cuts is having a huge impact on staff and on patient safety."

One paramedic, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “The management doesn’t really care about staff welfare, all that takes priority is hitting targets, and turnaround times.

"Crews can work for eight or nine hours without getting a break. Then we finish late – that has a huge impact on our family time. The attitude is, if you don’t like it find another job.”

Others described being tearful, suffering with migraines, post traumatic stress disorder and feeling exhausted.

The most common causes of stress were reported as long hours, staff shortages and the mental demands of the job.

Lisa Ward, the trust's deputy director of organisational development, said: “Cases of stress do fall in line with a rise in activity and last year, the NWAS saw an increase in demand of six per cent compared to the previous year. Despite this, the percentage of staff working additional hours has decreased.

“To help the trust gain a better understanding of staff absence, and with the support of Staff Union Representatives, we have now completed an internal health and well-being survey of all staff....The trust is taking forward a number of recommendations as a result of this work."