Paramedics could walk out of work in a row over long hours.

UNISON has told bosses at the East of England Ambulance Service that they will ballot frontline ambulance staff.

They say they will strike over senior management’s failure to tackle long hours and the lack of breaks.

Staff shortages are pushing paramedics to the brink. In December, 2,995 shifts finished over an hour later than planned, and in January, this rose to 3,639 shifts.

Ambulance crews are not supposed to work a shift longer than 12 hours. But union staff their shifts regularly over-run and crews end up working for 13-18 hours.

UNISON branch secretary Fraer Stevenson said: “After a year of broken promises, our crews are still faced with unacceptable working conditions.

“Frontline staff are caring people, committed to providing excellent patient care but they’re human beings too and they need to be cared for by their employer. Fifteen hour shifts with just a half hour unpaid break are now commonplace. Ambulance staff carry out life saving work in their communities and deserve better treatment.

“Theirs is already a stressful job, being made almost unbearable by the excessive working hours staff regularly find themselves working. No wonder so many have already left the service, and that many more say they want to quit.

Union reps also claim frontline staff are missing out on meal breaks in their shift.

Ms Stevenson continued: “It’s heart breaking to see front line staff working under such pressure and for the trust’s board to be given repeated evidence of this – but fail to act. We have little choice now after over a year of many meetings and no meaningful action, than to consider industrial action.

“Frontline staff are held in high regard by the public, it’s hard to understand why the ambulance trust is not showing the same level of care and support to its staff. But it’s not too late for the trust to act.

“It’s vital that safeguarding measures are put in place to better protect staff from these overwhelming pressures.”