AMBULANCE crews have begun taking part in US-style therapy sessions to help cope with the psychological impact of their job.

North West Ambulance Service is the first ambulance trust in the country to introduce Schwartz Rounds, which have been used by healthcare professionals in America to combat stress and emotional issues at work.

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An initial session has been held in Bolton on the subject of compassion, with a full programme planned over the next six months.

It comes after the busiest period in the history of NWAS, whose staff have had to deal with a huge surge in 999 calls in the last year, as well as severe delays while handing over patients to hospital medics.

Commenting on the pressures this winter, chief executive Bob Williams said: “Operational crews often arrived to help patients who had waited a long time, and crews waited for long periods of time caring for patients while waiting to hand over their care to the hospital staff.

“This means that some patients did not receive the response as quickly as they warranted and means that our staff have been under duress for an extended period.”

He said that “negative and sensationalist” reporting by some media outlets had put staff under even more pressure.

Schwartz Rounds are new in Britain, but have started being introduced in the wake of the Stafford Hospital scandal in a bid to help staff show more compassion towards patients.

Mr Williams said in a report to board members: “NWAS is the first ambulance service in the UK to adopt the Schwartz Round process for engaging with staff across all disciplines of the organisation to understand how they feel about issues affecting them and the organisation.

“The initial round was held in Bolton, on the subject of compassion. It was well attended and bodes well for the full programme of events over the next six months.”