A deep unease shakes the protection and rescue service of the City of Lausanne (SPSL). Wringed out, the staff would be exhausted. Authorities say they are aware of the problem and have appointed a new chief, who has ordered an internal report.
For several months, working conditions have reportedly deteriorated among the Lausanne ambulance crews of the SPSL, who carry out more than 9,000 interventions per year.
According to testimonies collected by RTS, several elements are at the heart of the problem. The lack of recognition of staff investment by the hierarchy, aging and no longer suitable premises, or even sick leave – particularly due to burn-out – not replaced. Result: of the forty workers, a third were off work or absent at the peak of the crisis last summer, while the lack of staff caused an overload of work.
The private sector called to the rescue
The situation has since improved a little. A new head of department, Philippe Schneider, was also appointed in September. Aware of the problem, he ordered an internal report. At present, one thing is certain according to him: the post-pandemic has weighed on staff. “We missed our way out of the crisis, we did not give people proper rest time and we stretched the rope too much this summer,” he said on Tuesday in La Matinale de la RTS.
The staffing problems encountered in recent months have also weighed on the operational level. To ensure the safety of the population, the private company STAR Ambulances Sàrl had to be regularly called in for reinforcement. But “in no case were the patients put in danger”, insisted Philippe Schneider.
Measures in 2024
According to him, things are now going in the right direction. Today, the absenteeism rate has fallen from around a third to less than 14%.
The City of Lausanne and the SPSL promise to take measures from 2024 to improve the situation, once the results of the internal report and those of the labor inspection are known.
Robin Baudraz/jop
2023-12-26 23:04:34
#uneasiness #Lausanne #ambulance #drivers #face #deterioration #working #conditions
