A RETIRED paramedic says he was disrespected and “messed about” when trying to do his bit to cure a staffing shortage at the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS).

The paramedic, who took early retirement from the service last March aged 55, said after registering an interest for so-called ‘bank’ work – whereby staff are given a zero hours contract and called upon occasionally to cover shifts as and when required – he waited seven months to be formally offered a role.

When he was finally given his uniform and was ready to hit the road again, he was shocked to discover he was to be paid what he described as a reduced rate so declined the role.

The paramedic, who previously worked in the Middlesbrough area before undertaking medical work privately, told The Northern Echo: “I pointed out I was no teenage new starter and had earned the right to be paid accordingly as a skilled member of staff.

“I have since cancelled my application and will continue to work privately while my colleagues struggle to cope and the people of this region suffer as a consequence.”

Last month NEAS chief executive Yvonne Ormston said it was a “priority” to recruit more paramedics because of a shortage with a spokeswoman adding it had 118 vacancies to fill across the North-East.

But the paramedic said that while the application procedure should have been simple, it left him feeling “frustrated for old colleagues and annoyed at the lack of respect for my role and skills”.

He said he was asked to fill out a form which asked if he was competent at checking for breathing and a pulse, while NEAS also lost paperwork he had signed off and also did not reply to numerous phone calls he made to them.

He said: “To cut a long episode short I was messed around for nearly seven months – some priority.”

The paramedic, who does not want to be named, said NEAS were running short of paramedic grade staff almost every working day.

Paul Liversidge, chief operating officer at NEAS, said the service was disappointed that the paramedic had withdrawn from the casual staff bank which it had set up for the first time this year to fill some of its vacancies and wished to apologise for any delays and frustration he felt with the process.

He said: “Anyone applying for casual work is subject to a range of statutory checks to safeguard the care of our patients. This process has been improved so that it is simpler for returning paramedics to be recruited.

“Our terms of engagement for casual workers were formally issued in July this year and those people who expressed an interest in the early stages of setting up the staff bank have unfortunately experienced a longer process because this is a new scheme.

“The hourly rate we have set is comparable to the mid-point of the national pay band for qualified paramedics.”