A RECRUITMENT crisis has left Hampshire’s ambulance service with a shortage of more than 250 paramedics.

Bosses at South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) admit they are under “extreme pressure” to answer emergency calls as they struggle to fill 260 vacancies.

Mark Ainsworth-Smith, consultant emergency care practitioner for SCAS, revealed there had been a 25 per cent increase in demand on the trust since 2010, telling an inquest it was difficult to retain staff because of the high cost of living.

He said: “We have 260 outstanding vacancies for paramedics. To meet current demand we need to mobilise basic ambulances. We use third party ambulance providers to cover shortfalls in ambulances and staff.”

Mr Ainsworth-Smith added that it was a less attractive career because paramedic training now took longer due to new degree courses – sometimes taking between two to five years, as opposed to 16 weeks in the past.

Last year private contractors attended nine per cent of call-outs on behalf of SCAS – but this has since increased to 16 per cent.

Contractors use their own vehicles and staff but some of the equipment is the same as that used by SCAS employees.

Mr Ainsworth-Smith said the service works with the contracted companies on training and visits their premises to carry out random checks.

Between April 2011 and December 2013 the average wait for an SCAS ambulance from call to arrival was around 30 minutes, with the longest at 38 minutes in December 2012.

Unison South East regional organiser Sarah O’Donoghue blamed low pay and lack of internal training for the failure to replace outgoing staff.

She said: “While SCAS started training staff externally rather than internally some time ago other competitor trusts have been investing in internal training.”

She added: “There’s no robust plan to close the gap between need and provision.”

Martin Berry, executive officer for the Royal College of Paramedics, said the shortage was a national problem that was ‘failing’ patients with less serious conditions.

He added: “Because they are so good at making decisions and diagnosis they are increasingly being employed in walk-in-centres and GP surgeries and for telephone advice services. These jobs are sucking paramedics out of the ambulance sector because they are attractive roles and offer 9am-5pm working hours.”

Under the NHS Constitution, ambulances have to reach the most seriously ill patients within eight minutes for 75 per cent of calls.

And SCAS figures over the past three years reveal they are meeting that target, dealing with between 76 and 78 per cent of urgent cases within eight minutes.

Southampton City councillor Royston Smith called for greater teamwork between ambulance and fire services to respond to less serious calls.

Mr Smith, who chairs the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “The fire service run a great scheme to co-respond to thousands of calls per year and although they are not as fully trained as paramedics there are many situations they are suited for. A merger of services between fire and ambulance could work very well.”

A spokesperson for SCAS said: “SCAS recognises that demand is rising significantly year on year and our recruitment plans are challenged to try and meet the increasing need for more and more paramedics.”

She added the shortage of paramedics was a national issue and that the service was looking to private companies, as well as recruiting abroad, to meet the needs of patients.