AMBULANCE crews are working 15-hour double shifts to keep the chronically under-staffed service afloat.

High sickness levels are forcing some crews to take extra shifts to provide cover for South Worcestershire.

Ambulance union leaders say the beds' crisis at Worcester Royal Infirmary is compounding the problem as paramedics wait to unload patients at the hospital.

On Friday night ambulances were waiting for more than an hour at Worcester's Accident & Emergency department.

Mike Belcher, secretary of the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel, said today that the service was "chronically understaffed", although an extra 21 staff expected at the end of September would ease the problem.

He added that delays in unloading patients were causing frustration among crews and increasing pressures in other parts of the county. One Malvern crew worked a day and night shift yesterday.

"It's not happening everyday, but on occasions at the busy periods if we're short-staffed the only way to cover is to ask people to double-shift," said Mr Belcher.

"The ambulance trust gives the impression we don't like to do overtime, but there are a lot of staff who do an awful lot of overtime. If they didn't the service would be seriously compromised.

"We have problems with the A&E, where we've not only got more calls but, when we arrive at casualty, we're having to wait such a long time to unload our patients."

He said referrals from doctors, known as urgents, in need of a acute medical bed were ending up at A&E because there were no beds available.

Steve McGuinness, director of operations for Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said record numbers of calls and A&E delays had a knock-on effect for the service.

Mr Belcher said there was "light at the end of the tunnel" with 21 technicians due to start on Monday, September 25, and a further 18 by December.

In addition, new high dependency vehicles were also helping the service.