THE NHS came to the rescue of so many during the Covid pandemic — everyone clapped to show appreciation. One group of workers applauded, little-known to the public, were the Ambulance Care Assistants (ACA).

These brave people move patients to and from the hospitals. There are many such cases, including people unable to move or suffering with dementia, where there is a need for mental and physical toughness among ACAs, who witness trauma on a daily basis.

The challenge of the work involved was illustrated in actor, writer and ACA Marissa Landy’s excellent play, Non-Emergency.

The play debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer, and more recently ran as part of the Wanstead Fringe. The play tells of the difficulties and challenges of working as an ACA during the pandemic. There was laughter and tears as staff and patients took on adversity.

Landy recently told of the limited training given to ACAs before they are thrown onto the front line — just three weeks. She also struggled to find PPE during the pandemic.

On one occasion, she and another ACA struggled on the stairs with an immobilised, heavy patient. The only way was up, otherwise they all could have fallen down the stairs, sustaining serious injuries — or worse.

What the ACAs do is vital, yet they seem to be treated as one of the lowest in the food chain by the NHS. The service is contracted out to private companies who pay just £11.01 an hour, making life incredibly difficult, especially during these inflation-ravaged times.

The ACAs have become frustrated by their lot: doing a dangerous but vital job, rewarded with applause — but not money. There is a high turnover among ACAs as a result.

Backed by the GMB union, Marissa and the Baloney Theatre Company, who put on Non-Emergency, have established a petition calling for the private companies to increase ACA pay to NHS levels of £12.30 an hour in London (£11.79 outside).

This demand is modest, given the Labour Party has already discussed bringing in a £15 minimum wage. The ACAs deserve everyone’s support, they do a vital job and should be paid accordingly.

A decent level of pay would also ensure that more staff were retained, providing a more experienced, skilled service in the longer term. Just as NHS and care staff should be paid properly for their vital work, so should the ACAs, who don’t even have the security of an NHS contract of employment.

The ACAs want parity with those on NHS contracts so private companies do not undercut wages to increase their own profits. Please support the campaign by signing the petition at www.mstar.link/Ambulance — and if you get the chance to watch Non-Emergency, do — it will bring laughter and tears.