More than 30 women allege harassment in ambulance service

More than 30 women have alleged that they experienced sexual harassment, misogyny, bullying or intimidation while working in the National Ambulance Service (NAS).An unpublished Health Service Executive (HSE) internal review obtained by RTÉ’s Prime Time programme also raised concerns about the culture and leadership of the service, including references to bullying and harassment.The women who spoke to the programme include current and former paramedics and emergency medical technicians. Many spoke anonymously because they continue to work in the NAS.One woman told Prime Time a male colleague behaved inappropriately towards her in the early stages of her career.READ MORE“He had that power over me and he knew that he had that power because I was not going to get through my internship year unless he signed me off,” she said.Another woman, who has since left her role, alleged that a senior colleague touched her inappropriately. When she raised the prospect of reporting the alleged incident, she said she was told: “You’re wasting your time even reporting it, because nobody’s going to do anything, and he’ll do it again because he’s done it before.”The women said there were many good people working within NAS, including many men, but said some inappropriate behaviour was tolerated and complaints were not always properly addressed.David Hall, chief executive of Lifeline Ambulance Service and a former member of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, told the programme the NAS was historically male-dominated with a “semi-militaristic structure” and an “unhealthy culture of dominance”.Similar concerns about the culture and leadership of the NAS were identified in an internal HSE review carried out in 2021, according to Prime Time.The NAS, which falls under the remit of the HSE, employs more than 2,400 staff nationwide.The HSE said it regretted the serious concerns raised by some staff.“All HSE staff have the right to feel safe, respected and valued at work,” a statement to RTÉ said.“While significant efforts have been made in recent years to improve the culture of NAS, staff feedback continues to highlight concerns relating to bullying, discrimination, harassment, and levels of trust within the organisation. These behaviours can significantly impact individuals and teams and have no place in our organisation.”The HSE said work has begun on a new culture initiative aimed at addressing issues within the service. It will be independently chaired by retired Irish Major General Maureen O’Brien.The full report will be broadcast on RTÉ One at 9.35pm on Thursday.[ Four HSE regions to lose power over day-to-day spendingOpens in new window ]