BRITS have been urged to not to drink heavily this Christmas amid fears the health service could be overwhelmed because of strikes this week.
Yesterday, ten thousand ambulance staff at nine NHS trusts walked out in the biggest 999 strike for 30 years, in a row over pay and conditions.
Ambulance workers took part in a strike, amid a dispute with the Government over pay
The map above shows the ambulance trusts that took part in strike action across England and Wales yesterday
This came just just one day after nurses staged their second day of strike action in a week.
Matthew Taylor, head of the NHS Confederation, said the “don’t get drunk” advice issued on Tuesday and Wednesday to to reduce people’s risk of needing an ambulance should become permanent.
He told the BBC: “Yes, that is a message we should always have… not to indulge in behaviours that are bad for their health and are risky.
“It is important that the public use the NHS in the best way they can.”
He said: ‘But we can’t ask the public to cope day in day out with not having the services that the NHS wants to offer’, adding that there is ‘pent up demand’ that built up during the pandemic because they couldn’t access doctors.”
This week, the Government urged Brits to avoid any ‘risky’ behaviour, including drinking heavily, contact sports like 5-a-side, taking unnecessary car journeys or running in icy weather.
The health minster, Steve Barclay said people should still call 999 in an emergency but braced them for a “severe impact”, as some patients were told to get themselves to A&E or book a taxi.
Emergency calls slumped during the day after Brits were spooked by warnings from unions and health chiefs.
But NHS bosses are now braced for a flood of calls today and through the end of the week as those who stayed away “rebound”.
Saffron Cordery, chief of NHS Providers, said last night: “The numbers of cars and taxis turning up hasn’t happened in the numbers that we thought.
Thursday and Friday were going to be “incredibly difficult days across the NHS because there is a lot of unseen demand and risk out there”, she said.
She said people changed their behaviour on Wednesday, heeding the call not to use services.
“But some will have chosen not to use them at all, even though they need them,” she added.