A UK Association of Chief Ambulance Officers' report, Ambulance 2000: Proposals for the Future of the Ambulance Service (1990), maintained that "Ambulance service records show far too many instances of premature retirement through ill health and premature death due to stress related illnesses" (p. 19). The report recorded that the "intense pressure" results in few ambulance staff reaching retirement age without significant sickness or premature retirement on medical grounds. It drew attention to increased incidence of burnout among ambulance staff, brought on by service demands, rationalising staff rosters, higher training levels, and increased responsibilities. As well as urging greater attention to improved recruitment and selection and increased awareness by management and staff of ways of identifying stress and developing coping strategies, it called for enhanced recognition of the role of accident and emergency ambulance teams. This chapter explores a number of the issues raised in this report by reviewing available literature on topics related to stress and coping among ambulance service personnel.
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