Ambulance strike

Patient safety cannot be guaranteed during today's strike by ambulance workers in England and Wales, health bosses have warned. · But NHS England says emergency ...

Instead, a team of clinicians will call patients back to see if they can be helped in other ways. You can also get in touch in the following ways: A critical incident allows services to prioritise certain patients and cancel non-urgent demands on staff such as training. Not all Conservatives agree and want to see some flexibility from the government. There are people who are desperately likely to need this service over Christmas." She said earlier that ambulance staff were tired of spending all day outside a hospital with a patient because of delays in handing over patients to A&E. They expect there to be 200 ambulances compared to the normal 400. Negotiations lie "squarely with the government who have simply got their hands over their ears". About 750 armed forces staff are being drafted in to cover the walkouts, however their role will be limited. Ambulance unions have made a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients." [Rishi Sunak has insisted he will not back down against striking workers](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64037292). [two days of strikes by nurses this month over pay](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-63946730).

Thousands of ambulance workers and paramedics are preparing to strike on Wednesday after talks between the Government and unions failed to address the issue ...

Because if we get it wrong and we’re still dealing with high inflation in a year’s time, that’s not going to help anybody. Unions have called for industrial action to cause maximum disruption & inevitably this will have an impact. “And we need to make sure that the decisions that we make can bring about that outcome. “But on health grounds alone, it is clear that we have entered dangerous territory and we hope this warning from NHS leaders should serve to focus minds in Government that a swift resolution to this damaging dispute is needed, and that opening negotiations on pay is the way to achieve that.” “Our members are absolutely determined to win not just the pay battle but to win the battle to save the NHS.” Unison’s strike is running from noon until midnight on Wednesday while the GMB action runs from midnight tonight to midnight on Wednesday, and Unite’s from midnight tonight to midday on Wednesday.

Last-minute talks break down between unions and health minister Barclay as Sunak refuses to reopen NHS pay deal.

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The series of warnings come as concern grows ahead of planned strike action on Wednesday, when the NHS is set to be hit by major disruption as ambulance workers ...

Asked if people should drive, he said: “Well, if there are unnecessary journeys, I would say don’t, no. The NHS England later joined in the warnings as it asked people to avoid dangerous drinking to avoid ending up in A&E, asking the public to take “sensible measures” to avoid requiring emergency care. No, I wouldn’t, because that would encompass additional risk.”

Some 'essential' services will run during Wednesday's strike in England and Wales, MPs are told.

Asked by MPs if public safety would be affected by the strike, Redhead said: “I think that we’re doing everything we can to maintain patient safety. He said Covid had exacerbated the problems because there had been “no respite whatsoever” for staff between busy peaks in winter and summer. Harrison said ambulance workers had asked for an above-inflation pay rise, but one that was lower than the 19% request by the Royal College of Nursing. She warned ministers about the prospect of future strikes. She said most agreements had already been signed off with local trusts and they would vary depending on differing areas’ needs. Our members want a resolution to this.”

Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) has warned people to use the service "wisely" during strike action over a national pay dispute.

A spokesperson for YAS said during the action, which is part of a national pay dispute with the government, members of the public should only dial 999 for "an ambulance for life-threatening conditions or injuries." Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) has warned people to use the service "wisely" during strike action over a national pay dispute. In Yorkshire and the Humber region action by GMB union members started at 00:01 on Wednesday and is due to end at 00:01 on Thursday.

Unison members at London Ambulance Service (LAS) will walk out along with thousands of ambulance workers and paramedics across the country, after talks between ...

[said on Tuesday that some London paramedics are spending their entire shift taking care of patients](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/london-paramedics-strikes-handover-delays-hospitals-b1048461.html) who are waiting to be discharged into A&E. “But the key thing is for anybody that does have an emergency situation or a life-threatening situation that they continue to call 999 as they would have done previously, and for any other situation, NHS 111 or NHS 111 online.” LAS has warned that ill Londoners “are unlikely to get an ambulance” during the action unless they are at risk of dying, and [London Ambulance Service](/topic/london-ambulance-service) (LAS) will walk out along with thousands of ambulance workers and [paramedics](/topic/paramedics) across the country, after talks between the Government and unions failed to address a dispute over pay. It comes as several ambulance and hospital trusts across the country have declared critical incidents as a result of “sustained” and “unprecedented” pressure on services, and as LAS reports record numbers of emergency calls. [London](/topic/london) are set to strike on Wednesday - with the action expected to cause major disruption to the capital’s already-stretched [NHS](/topic/nhs) services.

Thousands of ambulance service workers are walking out across England and Wales today in a dispute over pay, increasing the strain on the NHS with some ...

"We want the Government to actually wake up and realise that this situation is serious. [Click here](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/unions-choosing-inflict-harm-patients-28783874) to read the full story [Click here](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/just-15-percent-emergency-patients-28774772) to read the full story We are not going to roll over. [Click here](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/hell-999-frontline-paramedics-reveal-28782587) to read the full story. [Click here](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-south-east-ambulance-service-28777391) to read the full story Protect patients, raise NHS pay." North East Ambulance Service, South East Coast Ambulance Service, the East of England Ambulance Service and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service have all moved to the status as staff work to respond to calls. He added: "We're saying to the public to exercise their common sense in terms of what activities they do, being mindful of those pressures that are on the system." Pressed about repeated pleas from union leaders for a conversation to try and resolve the dispute, he told Sky News: "We have a process in terms of pay, an independent process, and we've accepted the recommendations of that in full." Mr Thompson said of the Government: "This is about telling them that we are not going to allow it (a deterioration in services) to happen. "The unions have agreed to provide cover tomorrow for life-threatening emergencies (Category 1 cases) and serious cases like heart attack and stroke (Category 2 cases).

NHS leaders have warned that they cannot guarantee patients' safety during huge disruption today, as thousands of ambulance staff walk out on the first of two ...

“I’m a negotiator and I’m happy to sit down with them. A new poll by Savanta found that only 11 per cent of the public blame nurses for the strike. “We’d listen to any offer from the government,” McAnea explained. “If we see significant patient harm, then as a government we will need to look at what is done in terms of minimum service levels.” “We now know that the NHS contingency plans will not cover all 999 calls. [Rishi Sunak](/topic/rishi-sunak)’s government will be to blame for any additional deaths which happen during Wednesday’s ambulance strike, a health union leader has said.

NHS ambulance crews from South Western Ambulance Service Trust are taking a stand over pay and staffing shortages that they say are having an effect on the ...

[Christmas](https://www.cornwalllive.com/all-about/christmas). On days when there is strike action, people should only call 999 if it is a medical or mental health emergency (when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk). Mr Barclay warned that the ambulance system "will be under very severe pressure today". With thousands of ambulance workers across the country striking today, Health Secretary Steve Barclay has urged the public to "use their common sense". Many stories about long ambulance waits, is just one of the reasons, paramedics and 999 call handlers will be taking a stand for change. Torpoint's ambulance station has created an official GMB picket line from 6am to 11:59pm.

Ministers and health leaders urge people to be cautious as ambulance workers and other NHS staff strike for between 12 and 24 hours.

He accepted ministers do not have to accept the recommendations of the pay review bodies. Barclay is also doubling-down on offering media pressure as a justification for not overruling the recommendations on NHS pay to offer more. He added that “hospitals are full to bursting” and some people would be waiting a long time in A&E. Today is obviously going to be a very difficult day with the health service. We want the government to actually wake up and realise that this situation is serious. The issue of pay is clearly a matter for government and not something I’m going to get into. They need to discuss what they are doing in terms of the NHS for the long term. Every day, people go out and deal with a crisis, they do all the donkey work and then when they come back and they’ve dealt with it, they are the ones who have to pay for it. Well, obviously, it depends on whether we have the same members in the same industry. Medics do not want to strike, we do not want to be here. They are the people at the helm. The Royal College of Nurses in Scotland is due to announce within hours whether its members have accepted the revised offer.

Tens of thousands of ambulance workers, including paramedics and call handlers, are striking in England and Wales over a pay dispute · The impact will vary by ...

"This is the situation we're in." The problem here is that trust is low and there are no specifics on the table. The public have been told to only call 999 for life-threatening situations. One is a lump sum payment for NHS staff to deal with the cost of living. I've never seen such an abdication of leadership like it in 25 years of negotiating." But the health secretary has said he doesn’t want to be involved in annual pay negotiations - saying it would be a dangerous trap. There is nervousness in Government about what will happen today. There are no strikes in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Speaking to Radio 4's The World Tonight on Tuesday evening, Juliet Bouverie said: “We are worried lives could be put at risk. There are some Conservative MPs who believe ministers will have to compromise eventually. Anyone who has not been contacted is asked to attend appointments as planned “At the moment our crews are probably spending about 80% of their time stuck outside hospitals.

Rachel Harrison, GMB Union national secretary, said the government could solve the dispute at any time. “We ...

They have not taken the decision to take strike action lightly. [NHS Lewisham and Greenwich Trust](https://www.lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk/latest-news/london-ambulance-strike-wednesday-21-december-maternity-update-2581/) wrote: “We understand that the potential delay in ambulance response times may cause concern to those who are planning a homebirth. “However, this may compromise the safety of you and your baby. “Please, therefore, make sure you have plans to get to hospital, for example by car or taxi. Speaking on LBC Radio, she said it was “utter nonsense” and a “complete and utter lie” to suggest unions had made it almost impossible for the government to make plans. Health secretary Steve Barclay has said there is “uncertainty” and “volatility” in cover for emergencies during Wednesday’s strike, blaming unions for failing to guarantee staff will respond to all emergencies. “Dor women expecting a baby, if there is a possibility you might give birth on one of the strike days there is no guarantee that an ambulance or paramedic will come to your home to attend you in labour or in the event of an emergency,” Ms McAnea said the NHS is “crumbling” under this government and she is “genuinely shocked” at health secretary Steve Barclay’s claims that there have been little to no contigency plans for emergencies made. The service is experiencing an rise in the number of patients arriving to hospitals in ambulances and increased waiting times in emergency departments. “If ambulances are not available, delays in treatment may happen, and this could have an impact on the mother’s and/or baby’s health and wellbeing.” “We have tried everything to raise pay, the issue that is causing this dispute, but the government will not listen and will not talk,” she said in a statement on Wednesday. The government said the “deeply regrettable” strike would result in fewer ambulances on the road.

Health secretary accuses unions of choosing to "harm" patients in bitter war of words over strikes.

Christina McAnea, head of Unison, said in a tweet: "[The health secretary has] never specifically asked Unison for a national contingency agreement. Rachel Harrison, national secretary of the GMB union, said ambulance workers felt "forced" to strike because they government had failed to listen to them. Ambulance unions have reacted with anger after the health secretary said they had "taken a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients".

National, system and trust leaders have told HSJ they fear for the safety of patients and the wellbeing of staff as the NHS experiences its first ambulance ...

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Health Secretary Steve Barclay urges people to use 'common sense' over what activities they do as 999 services under pressure. Ambulances outside ambulance ...

We’re saying to the public to exercise their common sense in terms of what activities they do, being mindful of those pressures that are on the system.” Asked why there was not a national contingency plan in place for the industrial action, Mr Barclay told Sky News: “The difficulty with putting contingency measures in place is… The walkout by workers in the GMB started at midnight and will finish at midnight tonight. At least seven of England’s 10 ambulance trusts, as well as the Welsh Ambulance Service declared critical incidents last night. The strike by the Unite union started at midnight and will end at midday. Mr Barclay said people should “use their common sense” when considering calling 999.

Unions said the government was at fault for refusing to negotiate on pay but Health Secretary Steve Barclay blamed the opposite side for striking when the NHS ...

It seems a number of those on strike have been called out to deal with "red alert" emergencies. There's also the practicalities. At times there have been only three or four ambulance workers taking part - and there a several reasons why. Unions representing ambulance workers want pay increases to keep up with the rising cost of living. She has previously said any deaths during the strikes would "absolutely" be the fault of the government for refusing to open negotiations. Asked who would be responsible for any deaths during the industrial action, he said: "It is the trade unions who are taking this action at a point of maximum pressure for the NHS."

LONDON — (AP) — Thousands of ambulance workers in Britain began a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, with unions and the government swapping accusations of blame ...

The government is calculating that public opinion will turn on the unions as people across the U.K. The U.K.’s most intense strike wave for decades is a response to a cost-of-living crisis driven by soaring food and energy prices in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But opinion polls show a high level of support for the workers. I think they want this crisis to be there.” “The system will be under very severe pressure today,” Health Secretary Steve Barclay told Sky News. Visiting a picket line in central England, she said “this government can make different choices.

Key Points · Union boss says strikes could continue in new year with more staff · In pictures: Ambulance workers strike across England · Unions angered as health ...

“In 14 hours I saw and attended one patient of my own and did not have a break... I won’t be responding to critical calls, like many of my colleagues who are doing the same. But I know people a lot worse off who are having to use food banks. She told the picket line at Waterloo, London on Wednesday: “I saw the secretary of state yesterday and he wouldn’t talk to us about pay. “I’ve attended elderly patients who have been on the floor with broken hips for over 20 hours. We regularly go 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 hours without a break or even so much as a brew or any warm food, or food at all, due to these delays. It goes nowhere near addressing the rising cost of living and would see many midwives actually worse off in real terms.” Years of being undervalued and understaffed have left us feeling we have no alternative because enough is enough. “The public know it’s not ambulance workers who have presided over a decade of failure. It is a complete and utter fabrication. “This Government needs to tell the truth. This will be members that provide the services - it will be their decision about whether they want to escalate it.”

An NHS trust which runs hospitals in Romford and Goodmayes has warned people who do not need emergency care that they face "extremely…

The BHRUT spokesperson added: "Anyone coming to our departments who does not need emergency care will face extremely long waits and it’s likely our services will continue to be under pressure in the days following the strike." Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), which runs Queen's Hospital in Romford and King George Hospital in Goodmayes, has issued advice to patients needing care during the industrial action. An NHS trust which runs hospitals in east London has warned people who do not need emergency care that they face "extremely long" waits if they attend its A&Es during strike action.

The industrial action is a national dispute between the Government and Trade Unions regarding terms and conditions over employment. Many stories about long ...

The public can help us by only calling 999 for life threatening emergencies, we absolutely must have crews available for the most life-threatening conditions and we will be prioritising these patients. We are sorry that we are unable to respond as quickly as we would like. Moreover, members of UNISON, Unite and the GMB will be taking part on December 21 strike, and GMB members will be taking part in the additional strike a week later. “Please do not call back asking for an estimated time of arrival of an ambulance. South Western Ambulance Service paramedics and staff on strike today are being called off the picket line to deal with the most urgent calls. Category 2 covers conditions such as stroke, heart attack and sepsis, however strokes fall into the higher end of category 2 cases and clinicians will determine what response is needed. SWAST also declared a critical incident due to the ongoing pressures, along with seven other ambulance trusts. It was confirmed this week that military aid will be brought in to help the ambulance service in the Westcountry on days of industrial action. [South Western Ambulance Service](https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/live-plymouth-ambulance-strike-emergency-7953099) said: "We work on a local level with Unison, to agree our derogation. [South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust](https://www.swast.nhs.uk/welcome) [Will Warrender added: "We are doing all we can to manage winter pressures and the upcoming industrial action, including receiving military support which will allow our ambulance clinicians to crew more ambulances and reach patients more quickly." They have declared critical incidents, which means they cannot provide usual critical services and patients may be harmed. She said there are 'lots of horns beeping in solidarity.'

Today's action - co-ordinated by three separate unions - comes at a time when the NHS ambulance system is already buckling.

- West Midlands Ambulance Service - North East Ambulance Service - North West Ambulance Service - South West Ambulance Service She was left lying on the floor screaming in pain for 25 hours The NHS has urged everyone to 'drink sensibly'.

Thousands of ambulance workers in England and Wales walked out over pay on Wednesday, increasing the strain on a state-funded health service a day after ...

"This strike did not need to happen," she told the BBC. "This implication that somehow we've been negligent is really quite shocking," she told Reuters on a picket line in the capital. "(The government) need to get back to the negotiating table so we can get a proper pay rise for these workers and everyone can go back to work." "It was already the case even without the ambulance industrial action today that it was taking us twice as long to get to people in category two." Register for free to Reuters and know the full story "That's the point at which the trade unions have chosen to take industrial action and in doing so they haven't been willing to work with us to agree national exemptions in terms of covering all of the category one, category two, life threatening and emergency calls," he told the BBC.

Ambulance workers, paramedics, technicians, call handlers and other NHS staff will walk out in action will affect non-life-threatening calls. Unison members at ...

[ambulance service](https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/23203110.ambulance-workers-strike-industrial-disruption-continues/)s are taking action in a dispute over the Government’s 4% pay award. [strikes](https://www.fakenhamtimes.co.uk/news/national/23203193.everything-need-know-ambulance-strikes/) mark the first of two dates set by the [ambulance services](https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23203074.ambulance-strikes-only-call-999-life-threatening/), with the second date taking place on December 28. [London Ambulance Service](https://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/20273757.london-ambulance-service-on-highest-level-alert/) (LAS) are part of the thousands walking out after failed talks between the unions and the Government. 🧵[1/5] A thread on the national industrial action that is set to take place from midday to midnight on Wednesday 21 December 2022 👇— London Ambulance Service 💙 (@Ldn_Ambulance) [strike action](https://www.times-series.co.uk/news/national/23203932.talks-ambulance-strike-fail-break-deadlock/) today, (December 21) as people are warned to expect disruption. [Ambulance workers](https://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/19560051.london-ambulance-service-issues-urgent-update-demand/), paramedics, technicians, call handlers and other NHS staff will walk out in action will affect non-life-threatening calls.

As dawn broke, the life-and-death stakes of the biggest ambulance strike since 1990 became clear. While picketing paramedics from Gateshead to Cardiff ...

“Every shift feels like a strike anyway because most of the time we’re not responding to calls [but waiting outside hospitals to admit patients].” “It’s not the fault of the staff. It’s not the fault of the hospitals. He added: “I earn less now than I did when I was 20 and working in a call centre, and believe me I experience a lot more trauma in this job. “All the calls we respond to on a day-to-day basis are critical anyway so personally I feel that if you come in and do the derogations nothing really changes,” he said. “We shouldn’t have patients dying in front of A&E because we can’t get them through the front door. “There is no way ministers should trample over this process and there is no way they will,” he said. To withdraw our service from the public is a huge challenge for any one of us. One ambulance driver said on Twitter: “we ARE going to jobs, but the jobs we should be going to. But at the moment we are not able to provide a proper service. It is the second highest level of support for any worker group involved in this winter’s wave of industrial unrest after nurses; 31% opposed ambulance strikes compared to 49% opposing strikes by RMT rail workers. Unison, Unite and the GMB unions had agreed to attend

Thousands of paramedics, call handlers and technicians are taking action in England and Wales until midnight.

"The unions have negotiated critical cover, including 999 calls, at a local level with hosts of NHS trusts. The GMB union voted to reject a pay deal from the Scottish government - but it is not striking there today because it's still considering its next steps, and it says it hopes strike action will not be necessary. A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service - one of nine where industrial action was taking place in England - said there had been a reduction in calls and staff were grateful to the public for heeding advice to call 999 only in life-threatening situations. Meanwhile, South East Coast and Yorkshire Ambulance Services said they were still in the midst of a critical incident - a level at which there is an unusually high amount of pressure on services. "Tomorrow and Friday are going to be incredibly difficult days across the NHS because there is a lot of unseen demand and risk out there," she said. Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, mental-health trusts and ambulance services in England, said it was still too early to know the full impact of the strike, but she said category-one calls - which are life-threatening situations - "had been answered".

Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, mental-health trusts and ambulance services in England, said it was ...

"The unions have negotiated critical cover, including 999 calls, at a local level with hosts of NHS trusts. The GMB union voted to reject a pay deal from the Scottish government - but it is not striking there today because it's still considering its next steps, and it says it hopes strike action will not be necessary. A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service - one of nine where industrial action was taking place in England - said there had been a reduction in calls and staff were grateful to the public for heeding advice to call 999 only in life-threatening situations. Meanwhile, South East Coast and Yorkshire Ambulance Services said they were still in the midst of a critical incident - a level at which there is an unusually high amount of pressure on services. "Tomorrow and Friday are going to be incredibly difficult days across the NHS because there is a lot of unseen demand and risk out there," she said. Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, mental-health trusts and ambulance services in England, said it was still too early to know the full impact of the strike, but she said category-one calls - which are life-threatening situations - "had been answered".

Doctors warn of a backlog of patients and 'deteriorating health', with calls to 999 down 25% during paramedics' 24-hour stoppage.

“There is a review body process for the health service. Brine urged ministers to stand firm in not offering more money than had been recommended by the pay review body. That could report back before next summer, and by then we will be in a better place. She said: “Leaders across the NHS also know that as this week’s strike action draws to a close, the disruption is far from over. The one thing they should have been trying to do is avoid taking on the whole public sector all at once. “In arguably the most tumultuous winter for health this country has faced, the government must reach an agreement with trade unions. “After that, the government aren’t going to blink. Dr Tim Cooksley, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, echoed that unease. We saw this in lockdown,” said Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. Eight of 10 ambulance trusts in England declared “critical incidents” due to the pressure on resources. And then we’re into Christmas and New Year, when nothing much moves.” “We have anxieties about people not seeking help when they should.

Paramedics, call handlers and support staff are striking over pay in much of England and Wales.

in July, the body recommended to give a pay rise of roughly £1,400 this year for all NHS workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which is worth about 4%, on average, for nurses. I am 100% in support of the nurses and ambulance staff. "We are particularly concerned about a rebound effect which means things could be much worse in the days to come." For far too long successive governments have used emotional blackmail to avoid paying staff in the hospital and care sectors the salaries they deserve. Quote Message: I am 100% in support of the nurses and ambulance staff. Nurses and paramedics, who have my full support, need to attract the best and brightest to have a functioning NHS, which won't happen with poor pay and working conditions. Quote Message: As a doctor working in the NHS, the deterioration in viable working conditions over the past 10 years lies at the door of No 10. We’ve seen two marines turn up in one of the ambulances to bring in a patient. So putting a bit of extra demand in the economy through pay rises may be no bad thing, if growth is to return. I think that a 'strike' by any profession is an archaic way of negotiating a pay increase and serves no purpose these days. The system they feel is broken and no one is listening! It only causes more problems for ordinary people who are probably struggling with their own finances anyway - and to choose this time of year to strike just adds to everyone’s burdens, particularly vulnerable people.