Absences among ambulance staff due to mental health problems have risen by more than 150% since 2017, new figures show.
The number of working days lost to mental health-related issues in 2020, up to December 16, was 8,356, shared between 562 paramedics, technicians or care assistants.
The figures obtained from the Scottish Ambulance Service show in 2017 the number was 3,288 between 294 members of staff.
The news comes days after the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of a Lib Dem motion to declare a mental health crisis in Scotland.
Party health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “These figures show the tremendous toll that mental ill health was taking before the pandemic on our brave paramedics, care assistants and technicians.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We value the tremendous job our ambulance service staff do in what can be exceptionally challenging circumstances.”
He added: “We are working to increase capacity and reduce individual workload across the Ambulance Service – we have invested over £1 billion over the last four years and committing to training an additional 1,000 paramedics.”
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