Stress blamed for high number of NHS call handlers quitting

High numbers of staff leaving because of high pressure, lack of support, verbal abuse, long shifts and low pay, union says

NHS call handlers are quitting amid burnout at dealing with 999 calls about suicides, stabbings and shootings and the long delays before ambulances reach patients.

The pressure is so intense that 27% of control room staff in ambulance services across Britain have left their jobs over the last three years, NHS figures show.