North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Employee Reviews

Unfortunately as expected the job was very stressful and I didn't last very long. The interview process is in depth and you know what you are signing up for. The training was great but there is too much burnout and lots of people don't last long.

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Excellent place to work if you are hard working and want to progress

Team Leader (Current Employee) - Newburn - 20 June 2023

The job is tough there is no denying it but you should know that coming in when your working for an Ambulance service. There is continuous opportunities for development and you can turn a new role into a real career.Its what you make of it and what you put in you get out. I would recommend anyone to work here if you have a good work ethic and want to work in the emergency service sector.

Pros

Progression

Cons

Mentally tough role at times

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Insights into North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Based on 22 survey responses

What people like

Feeling of personal appreciation
Ability to learn new things
Clear sense of purpose

Areas for improvement

Time and location flexibility
Support from manager
Overall satisfaction

Dont go their

Call Handler (Former Employee) - Hebburn, Tyne and Wear - 26 May 2023

When you get told you have passed your interview you then get six weeks training on pc,s you have to pass tests to be able to get a permanent position in NEAS the first day we were given a book and told to input answeres in book you could sense the worry through the group how shocked they were being the first day i suffer with Dyslexia and struggled management didnt want to know no extra support was told this is the way it is either pass theres a job there for you or fail and your asked to leave.

Pros

Lovely group of people

Cons

Lack of support

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Excellent

Ambulance Care Assistant (Current Employee) - Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire - 17 April 2023

Great place and very rewarding Feel like your making a difference in people's lifes. Transport very vulnerable people which can be difficult to see at times

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Avoid at all costs if you require flexibility

Health Advisor (Former Employee) - Newburn - 14 October 2022

I ended up working for this company less than 3 months before leaving due to exhaustion and stress. I'm a student with placement hours as part of my course which I declared at interview, I also declared at interview that I had a holiday in December. I further declared both of these on my proforma and listed my availability. The company then asked me to prove the holiday had been booked before interview as they had scheduled me to work the day I went on holiday which was fair enough. Background checks took forever and they required more and more documents/forms to fill out etc which became tedious.I also required a OH assessment due to chronic illnesses. OH recommended I work 6-8 hour shifts maximum - this was never followed for my scheduling as they'd put me in for 10.5 hour shifts.People in charge of scheduling made it difficult to change shifts and even had me on the wrong schedule so had to ask them to put me on the correct one, in regards to my placement and would often schedule my shifts so that I actually only had one day off between work, placement and university and would often end up doing a combination of these 8-12 days in a row which completely exhausted me.During work hours it was so difficult to get hold of senior advisors when seeking advice, management are apathetic and trying to book annual leave when you want it is almost next to impossible.Called in sick on my last day of work as I was so stressed and burnt out to be met with no regard and uncaring to how I felt. No support offered not even by my team leader when I notified them I was leaving.For being -

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Paramedic

Ambulance Paramedic (Former Employee) - Bishop Auckland - 12 October 2022

Worked in the North East for 35 years, as a paramedic, simply fantastic, the job is a career not a job, management are none caring, but due to pressure at times its understandable, well worth putting your life into it.

Pros

Satisfaction

Cons

Life problems today, drugs, do Gooders, all this makes life hard.

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Not at all what I expected

Emergency Care Assistant (Current Employee) - Newcastle upon Tyne - 6 August 2022

I can’t really it much on here because it would give me away but let’s just take say if you want to work for a company that harasses you all day long then join. You can’t choose your own holiday dates ( unless you are management). You are deliberately held back from skills so they don’t have to pay the correct banding. This company is truly awful. It will seem exciting for about 6 months then you’ll realise you should never have joined.

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111/999 clinician

EOC Clinician (Current Employee) - Tyne and Wear - 17 July 2022

Probably the best decision iv made in moving my career in this direction. Telephone triage isn't for everyone and comes with a new set of challenges many clinicians aren't familiar with. But if you put the initial work in it is rewarding. But mostly it offered great flexibility in work hours for my childcare that you just don't get on the wards and my management have been very supportive of me when iv needed it.

Pros

Flexible working (within reason). Lovely team.

Cons

Can be repetitive. Can feel there's a bit of a blame culture at times.

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If your face fits

Call Handler (Former Employee) - HQ - 12 July 2022

I honestly have never experienced any job like it -managers bark orders at you people over worked and massively underpaid, cover up of mistakes galore -avoid at all costs I lasted 4 months

Pros

None

Cons

Everything

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Hard Work But Rewarding

Health Advisor (Former Employee) - HQ - 23 June 2022

An excellent employer. If you work hard, then you can progress reasonably quickly. Lots of available support. They try their best in difficult circumstances. You need to be resilient though.

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Jobs at North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

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Good pay but toxic and brutal hours

Call Handler (Former Employee) - Newburn - 28 May 2022

I worked there for a number of years before I could take no more. They wage is good especially with the enhancement however do the work/life balance is absolutely none existent.You expect you will be working weekends/nights/bank holidays due to the nature of the job however not EVERY single one. No hep from management if you try to ask for an important occasion off.Also good luck booking any holiday!!!Zero support on weekends and evenings after the support staff (HR/finance/IT) and management go home. All round toxic environment.

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Official response from North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

13 June 2022

Really sorry to hear your experience with us was not positive. Working in the NHS has been particularly challenging over the past few years and we are working really hard to improve NEAS as a place to work and to support employee wellbeing. In particular, we are in the process of boosting our call handling team to alleviate some of the challenges faced by those working in our emergency operations centre. Your feedback is really valuable. If you would like to share more feedback directly with us please contact recruitment@neas.nhs.uk

worst management I’ve ever experienced

Paramedic (Former Employee) - Newcastle upon Tyne - 27 May 2022

Toxic environment, under appreciated, management are like bullies, they cover up wrongdoing to save their own backs, no progression, no work life balance.

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Official response from North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

13 June 2022

Thank you for your feedback. We have a number of things in place to support our employees, particularly around wellbeing as we understand sometimes there can be challenges working in an emergency service. If you would like to share more feedback directly with us please contact recruitment@neas.nhs.uk

Horrific

Health Advisor (Former Employee) - Newburn - 16 May 2022

It’s tough, you’re unsupported and they really don’t care about you as a person. I had to take time off and seek therapy after a particularly stressful period during Covid and although they were supporting in sourcing an OH therapist, I dreaded going back to work

Pros

Sundays are good pay

Cons

You need to be made of stone to survive

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Official response from North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

13 June 2022

We welcome all feedback from our colleagues, current and past. We have many things in place to support our employees as we understand there are many challenges working in an emergency service, particularly during the pandemic. We are sorry that on this occasion you were unable to continue your employment with us. If you would like to share more feedback directly with us please contact recruitment@neas.nhs.uk

Worst employer I have ever had.

Paramedic (Former Employee) - South - 24 April 2022

Road crews treated like dirt, constantly having to watch your back, totally disengaged due to the culture of management by fear/bullying/intimidation. Terrible rotas, zero transparency on how many hours you’ve worked, excessive travel forced on you for relief shifts, useless holiday allocation and nearly impossible to get TOIL booked - so don’t expect any sort of family life. Totally toxic, untrustworthy and harmful to your mental and physical health.

Pros

The job itself is great.

Cons

Everything else.

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Official response from North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

13 June 2022

We are sorry to hear this was your experience at NEAS. We encourage you to get in touch with us directly via recruitment@neas.nhs.uk with more feedback.

Poor Management spoiling the role

Health Advisor (Former Employee) - Newburn - 30 January 2022

Going back a long way this was the best job in the world. Now the management running the show is so poor they have ruined any kind of job satisfaction. Staff are treat like robots and yes there is major bullying culture those in the click make it to higher roles. If you are happy to have no life as you are always at work for everything and picked apart for everything you do (and can I say the people doing the picking are wrong I can assure you that is the case which is the most scary part ) go ahead you will regret it as most people find which is why they are always looking for staff as they simply can’t keep them . All long term staff left and those that have not are trying . Sad state of affairs so glad to of escaped 😁

Pros

Nope

Cons

List too long

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Official response from North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

13 June 2022

Thank you for your feedback it is really valuable for us to hear the experiences of employees current and past. We do not tolerate bullying of any kind at NEAS and encourage all employees to report concerns such as these. We have many things in place to support our employees as we understand there are many challenges working in an emergency service. We are working hard to improve NEAS as a place to work and support employee wellbeing. We are sorry that on this occasion you were unable to continue your employment with us. If you would like to share more feedback directly with us please contact recruitment@neas.nhs.uk

Great place to work

Key Account Manager (Current Employee) - Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear - 20 January 2022

I have found my first three years at NEAS amazing. I have grown as a person and have achieved more in this organisation than any other I have worked for in a shorter space of time. I find the management supportive and find the staff extremely friendly and approachable.

Pros

Work life balance Staff Career progression Personal development is encouraged

Cons

Of course there will be cons with anywhere you work but nothing that doesn't outweigh the pros.

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Official response from North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

13 June 2022

Thank you for your comments. We continue to wish you well with your career.

Great Staff poor management It seems the management use the trust as a vessel to better themselves only.

Paramedic (Current Employee) - South - 8 January 2022

Always looking for punitive measure to censure staff.HR not available since they started agile working.The tail wags the dog, it’s an ambulance service but this service only works to the benefit of the corporate and support staff. The operations staff are an afterthought and inconvenience

Pros

Salary is ok Frontline and EOC staff try really hard Patients are a privilege

Cons

HR a law unto themselves, Middle management shaft staff to try get higher up the ladder, HR advisors absent since Covid, only pop up to put the boot in

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Official response from North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

13 June 2022

Thank you for your feedback. If you would like to share more information directly with us please contact recruitment@neas.nhs.uk.

Disappointing

Dispatcher (Former Employee) - Newburn - 1 January 2022

Endless stress. Endless b*tching. Workers completely ignored by hopeless ‘managers’. Everyone hates everyone else and there are no team players. Sad state of affairs.

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Official response from North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

13 June 2022

Really sorry to hear this was your experience. We welcome feedback from current or previous employees, if you would like to share more please contact recruitment@neas.nhs.uk

Challenging

Paramedic (Current Employee) - Newcastle upon Tyne - 21 December 2021

NEAS is full of problems and hangups. It really comes down to individuals who actually look out for their staff and unfortunately they are few and far between. A very clear separation between senior management and working frontline staff. This job can be amazing and you will meet some brilliant people but the way NEAS is managed and ran will leave you wanting.

Pros

Autonomy, North East is an amazing place to call an office, some brilliant individuals

Cons

Poor management and leadership, poor work life balance, poor ROTAs

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Toxic, poorly managed & dangerous

Clinician (Former Employee) - Newburn / hebburn - 13 November 2021

I echo the other employees who state NEAS is poorly managed. The delays on 111/999 are atrocious and they have very little contingency or escalation plans. No quality improvement work. A “don’t care” attitude which is shocking for an ambulance service.

Pros

Blue light card. Free parking (if you can find a space)

Cons

Toxic environment, poor management, dangerous for patients

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A bum on a seat

Health Advisor (Current Employee) - Newcastle upon Tyne - 11 October 2021

Terrible management who dont care about the staff. Zero support. Staff sent to work in covid outbreak zones and then returned to their own workplace the following day....and they wonder why the outbreak spread? Have to work every bank holiday, Christmas and New year's Eve. Zero effort to appropriately train staff will mean you're often left unsure what to do with your patient. And the very real possibility of killing them if you make a mistake. 300 calls waiting to be answered every weekend on the 111 line. Extremely stressful pressured environment where you're treated horrendously. Don't do it to yourself.