Is it just me, or does anyone else feel as though the job is becoming more difficult by the day?
I have recently completed a run of shifts during which the majority of the calls involved mental-health concerns or patients who clearly did not require an emergency ambulance or conveyance to A&E. Some examples included someone experiencing problems with bedbugs in a newly rented flat who expected me to negotiate a rent reduction with the landlord; someone who retched once after swallowing semen; and a patient with a diagnosed UTI who called because their symptoms had not improved on the same day they started antibiotics.
I have worked on the frontline for more than ten years, and it feels as though the nature of the work has changed significantly. Increasingly, I just feel like I seem to be filling gaps left by limited access to primary care, mental health services, and social care.
This is not about blaming patients, and I get that they often call because they are frightened and don't know where else to turn. I feel that I'm just spending a substantial amount of time managing non-emergency calls, which are both mentally and physically draining.
The micromanagement of these types of calls is also causing me concern, as I feel I'm constantly being judged by my manager for not handling them quickly enough and getting to the next call, which will just be the same again.