Ambulance people across the country face some of the most intense pressures anywhere in the NHS. Burnout, sickness absence and exposure to trauma remain significantly higher than in other parts of the health service, and the impact on staff wellbeing can be profound.
To ensure support is available when it is needed, AACE and The Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC) have received £348,000 of national funding from the Workforce Wellbeing Programme, a partnership between NHS Charities Together and NHS England.
This investment forms the new Ambulance Staff Suicide Prevention Fund, designed to ensure everyone working, volunteering or learning in an ambulance service can access timely, effective wellbeing support.
Anna Parry, Managing Director of AACE, said:
This new funding is excellent news and will be targeted where it is needed most. It will help sustain a vital suicide prevention helpline, expand preventative support, and strengthen local initiatives such as suicide prevention training and wellbeing programmes that can be embedded for the long term.
This work builds on existing progress, including trauma and neurodiversity projects funded through the Workforce Wellbeing Programme and the efforts of AACE’s employee wellbeing and suicide prevention group, which has introduced sector‑wide tools, guidance and a central suicide register.
The Workforce Wellbeing Programme has already invested more than £5,000,000 in 61 local projects across England, responding to rising levels of burnout and work‑related stress. This new national partnership between AACE, NHS England and NHS Charities Together brings together expertise, insight and delivery at every level, ensuring ambulance people can access support as and when it is needed.
Together, the partners are committed to strengthening suicide prevention, improving wellbeing, and ensuring ambulance people are protected, valued and supported for the future.
The TASC Ambulance Staff Crisis Phoneline provides immediate and ongoing suicide and mental health care for UK ambulance staff. It is completely independent and confidential and is available 24/7, 365 days a year on 0300 373 0898.
