Campaigners call for ambulance staff retirement age to be lowered

The Government is being urged to lower the retirement age for ambulance staff to 60 to bring them into line with other emergency services workers.

A 250,000-name petition was handed to the Health Department in London calling for the current retirement age of 67 to be changed.

The petition was started by paramedic Matt Fisher after the loss of his colleague 63-year-old Ian Canning who died just weeks into retirement from the London Ambulance Service.

Ian’s daughter Lisa Laker from Mitcham, south west London, said: “Saving lives was the be-all and end-all for my dad, he dedicated his life to it, but the job is mentally and physically demanding.

“My dad didn’t get quality time with his family when he was alive and sadly didn’t have that in his short retirement.”

Unison’s head of health Sara Gorton said: “Ambulance staff do a physically and mentally demanding job.

“They often work outside in challenging circumstances, and do shifts that can impact on health.

“Lowering the retirement age in line with other emergency services is the right thing to do.

“We’re urging Health Secretary Matt Hancock to make this a reality.”

Unison said ambulance workers face physical and mental pressures but retire seven years later than police officers and firefighters.

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