Ambulance staff each had an average of two weeks off sick last year according to new figures – with workers in the Black Country having among the highest illness rates.

And there has been a surge in short term absences in January this year prompting health chiefs at West Midlands Ambulance Service Trust to monitor sickness levels among ambulance crews and emergency call handlers.

Across the trust 6.38 per cent of available working days were lost between February 2007 and January this year.

The figure is higher in the Black Country and Birmingham standing at 6.71 per cent.

The NHS target is to have six per cent of working days lost to absence each year.

Stress, back pain, depression and anxiety are some of the reasons for spells off work along with diarrhoea, vomiting, coughs, colds, flu and viral infections.

Trust bosses say there is a “high level” of staff requiring rehabilitation following surgery and for those requiring support for anxiety and depression which is resulting in a number of long term absences.

In recent weeks sickness levels have jumped again prompting ambulance service bosses to take action.

A total of 8.74 per cent of available working days were lost to sickness across the Black Country and Birmingham in January. That was the one of the highest out of all the region’s covered by the trust and almost a percentage higher than the organisation’s average of 7.72 per cent.

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Murray Macgregor said: “Staff are more likely to get sick because they are in contact with people who are sick.

“They are also more likely to be advised to stay off work when ill to stop the spread of infections to patients.”

He added that a number of measures are already in place to try and help workers who are sick, especially those who have a long term absence.