Life on the front line as a St John Ambulance officer: 'I have been covered in your blood, sweat, urine and faeces'

Around 1000 St John Ambulance officers began industrial action late last year. Photo / File

Ambulance officers are writing gut-wrenching open letters to their bosses about the challenges of the job, as partial strikes over pay and conditions continue.

The letters are being sent to the St John board of trustees, and the first to be released publicly references long hours and more weekends working than not.

The anonymous author also lays bare the reality of life on the frontline.

"I have been covered in your blood, sweat, urine and faeces. I have been spat at, groped, verbally and physically abused. You have threatened to punch my lights out and told me to get f....d when I tried to help you after crashing your motorcycle."

Around 1000 St John Ambulance officers began taking action late last year and current partial strike actions in effect include a uniform ban, frontline staff not attending commercial events and the non-invoicing of patients.

From next Saturday, partial strikes will increase to include refusing to do non-urgent patient transfers or multiple-loading of passengers into vehicles.

Officers will also be writing messages on their vehicles to share the issues they're facing.

The ambulance officers' union, First Union, has said the partial strikes are designed to avoid putting patients at risk.

The letter in full

I am missing from so many family photos. Not because I hate the camera but because I am a frontline ambulance officer.

I have been rostered to work numerous Christmases and New Years, and many more nights and weekends. I have more weekends at work, than off.

I do not get to choose my rostered days on or the length of my shifts. I do this willingly for a job I love, and with the support of my family who sacrifice the most.
 
I have attended too many cardiac arrests to ever count. I have seen too many young people killed in their vehicles, drowned or died at the hands of those meant to protect them.

I have identified your grandmother's stroke in the dark, at 3am on the bathroom floor and ensured she received life saving treatment within the short window available.

I have taken away your pain. I have delivered your baby. I have shocked your husband's heart so they he may arrive at hospital alive to receive treatment.

I have cleaned up your mess when you got drunk and never made it to the toilet.

I have broken into your house in the dark at night because your family are worried for your safety. I have seen you attempt and be successful at suicide.
 
I have also attended you when you called for stubbing your toe or cutting your finger.

When you called because you had no transport to get to the doctor. When you called because you had a mild fever, were lonely or just didn't know what else to do.

Sometimes these calls came after I had seen people die. I never told you. I put a smile on my face and did my job.
 
I have been covered in your blood, sweat, urine and faeces.

I have been spat at, groped, verbally and physically abused. You have threatened to punch my lights out and told me to get f....d when I tried to help you after crashing your motorcycle.

I have worked 14-hour stretches with only one 30-minute break. I have worked in the crushing heat and punishing cold.

My crew partner and I have carried you, twice my size, down numerous flights of stairs because you couldn't walk.
 
I am a qualified health professional.

My pay has not kept up with inflation and most ambulance officers today are worse off financially than five years ago.

Paramedicine is the only health profession that does not receive penal rates for shift work, is not professionally registered, and our employer has a monopoly.

Despite my Bachelor of Health Science in paramedicine I am currently employed as an emergency medical technician, meaning I can be paid even less than the already low paramedic salary.

This is akin to employing a nurse as a healthcare assistant.

Would this be okay in any other health profession? Is this not a form of free labour?
 
My colleagues and I cannot continue to pay a high personal price for this job. We are at risk of falling over, some of us have already and are struggling to get back up.

I have always been there for you. Now I need you to help me.
 
·         We deserve shift recognition payments.
·         We deserve to be employed in the role we are qualified to perform.
·         We deserve recognition as registered health professionals.
·         We deserve an employer than cares for us so we can care for you.
 
Anonymous