East of England Ambulance Service suspends staff over 'unacceptable' messages on social media group
Several staff members at an ambulance trust have been suspended over alleged inappropriate messages in a private social media group.
The chief executive of the East of England Ambulance Service Trust, Tom Abell, said the alleged behaviour was "unacceptable" and "falls short of [the trust's] values".
A memo sent to all trust staff, which has been seen by reporters at EssexLive, has warned all other staff to cease any participation in "inappropriate" social media groups.
Mr Abell also said that the "necessary" action taken by the trust would place more pressure on remaining staff to deliver care to patients.
He did not disclose how many members of staff have had action taken against them or from which departments.
A source has claimed that approximately 30 members of staff have been impacted, including paramedics and control staff based in Essex. The trust, however, has not confirmed this.
In a statement, Mr Abell said: "We have acted swiftly against some staff who are alleged to have misused social media. I cannot give further details at this stage due to the ongoing investigation.
“However, I am clear that we rightly have the highest expectations of our staff. This kind of alleged behaviour is unacceptable and falls far short of our values.
"It is not representative of EEAST as a whole and of the many staff who carry out their roles to a high professional standard.”
In his email to staff, Mr Abell encouraged anyone suspicious of inappropriate social media activity to report it, and to cease any engagement with it, asking all staff to reflect on the announcement.
The East of England Ambulance Service also added that in the last year it had taken a range of significant actions to address the "deep-rooted cultural issues" within the trust.
This included training for staff around their conduct and behaviour, strengthening the disciplinary processes, resolving historic formal complaints from staff, and encouraging people to speak up.