24
Dec
‘Working at Christmas can be testing, but we support one another’
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For many people, Christmas means a well-earned break from work.
Out-of-office responses are on, feet are up and drinks are flowing – but not for the emergency services.
For Yorkshire Ambulance Service, demand only increases during the festive period and local paramedics dedicate their time to supporting residents around the Harrogate district.
But what is it really like? The Stray Ferret spoke to two Harrogate paramedics about their experiences working during the most wonderful time of the year.
Ben Barker, based in Harrogate, is a newly qualified paramedic.
As children are waking their parents up at the crack of dawn to see what Father Christmas has brought them tomorrow morning, Ben will just be crawling into bed.
My shifts over Christmas have been day shifts between December 21 and 23, then I’m working a night shift on December 24, finishing on Christmas morning.
Ben said winter is always busy due to more people coming down with colds and flu, but demand really increases at Christmas.
He admits working over the Christmas period can be tough, especially when he can’t make family outings and catch-ups with friends.
But Ben takes comfort in knowing he is helping others and is supported by his colleagues:
I feel great satisfaction being able to help people during challenging times and supporting people in getting better.
While working over the Christmas period can be testing, there is a strong sense of teamwork within the ambulance service. We support one another, united by a shared understanding of the demands of the role.
‘It’s not easy when you have young children’
Paramedic Helen Jackson started working for the ambulance service in 1991.
She began her career in Bramham, but relocated to Ripon after getting married. Helen is now based in Harrogate and has been stationed there for eight years.
Helen finished her final shift this morning (Christmas Eve) and will now enjoy four days off.
But she is no stranger to working over Christmas and New Year, and says it’s “not easy when you have young children”.
It can be hard knowing you’re missing out on special times and memories, Helen told the Stray Ferret, but added it “comes with the job”.
She said:
My dad always worked shifts and, as kids, we grew up with that being a kind of ‘normal’. I prefer to be off when other people are working, and you can't beat climbing into bed after a night shift when other people are on their way to work.
Helen said when she has worked on Christmas Day in previous years, her family tends to celebrate on a different day so they can all be together.
It’s a tough gig, but Helen understands how important it is to maintain such a vital service:
Christmas can be a bad time for people who are on their own or poorly, so it's very important to maintain the service. It doesn't just stop.
Shift work can be great for people like me who don't really like too much routine. I worked in an office years ago in a Monday to Friday job and it was the longest nine months - dreading Mondays and looking forward to Fridays.
Within the ambulance service, demand has increased and the workload is heavier, but with the help of my two great crewmates, we look after each other and do our best to be positive.
"Merry Christmas to all you emergency workers. Stay safe and celebrate when you can", she said.
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