THOUSANDS of ambulance workers have voted to go on strike before Christmas, it’s been announced.
Ambulance staff will strike just one day after nurses on December 21, in a dispute over pay, the GMB, Unison and Unite unions have announced.
GettyAmbulance workers will strike due to the ongoing wage dispute over pay and conditions[/caption]
Ambulance crews working for services in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West will strike on Wednesday 21 December, says Unison.
Hospital bosses warn patient suffering will be “inevitable” when 999 delays – already at record highs – get worse.
They will start from a minute past midnight in some areas, immediately after the second of two nurses strikes which could involve 100,000 medics.
Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, said: “The government will only have itself to blame if there are strikes in the NHS before Christmas.
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“Ambulance staff don’t want to inconvenience anyone but ministers are refusing to do the one thing that could prevent disruption – start genuine talks about pay.”
Emergency calls will still be attended during the strikes but waits will be longer.
Services will be cut back for incidents that are not life threatening, such as pain relief or non-urgent transport to hospital – around 3,700 jobs per day.
Ambulance workers in the East of England and the Isle of Wight are the only ones who did not pass the threshold for action.
BMA chair of council Professor Philip Banfield today said that for too long ambulance workers have been at the ‘sharp end’ of an ‘under-resourced’ health service.
“Doctors will today offer our solidarity to our colleagues in ambulances who feel this is the only way of getting this government to take the worsening predicament of the health service and its workers seriously.
“Only by listening to and negotiating in good faith with NHS staff will the government have any hope of repairing a health system it has left in dire straits. The starting point must be the NHS’s most important resource – its workforce.”
Up to 10,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union working for NHS employers in England will also strike.
They are set to walkout at 53 NHS organisations in England where the legal mandate for strike action was secured earlier this month.
Just last week it was revealed that nurse strikes could hit A&E, as only chemotherapy, critical and intensive care and kidney dialysis will be spared.
Local hospitals and union reps will negotiate over strikes in areas that are not considered “life-preserving”.
It means parts of casualty departments, cancer scans, maternity wards and operating theatres could be hit by the strikes on December 15 and 20.
RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: “Nursing staff do not want to take this action but ministers have chosen strikes over negotiations.
“Every nurse feels a heavy weight of responsibility to make this strike safe.
“Patients are already at great risk and we will not add to it.
“This list of exemptions shows how seriously we take our commitment and it should put patients’ minds at ease.”
The ambulance strikes come as it was revealed earlier this month that many people are caught in a ‘postcode lottery’ when it comes to accessing emergency care.
It found potential heart attack and stroke victims in the worst areas could be forced to wait one hour and 40 minutes for paramedics to arrive.
Those living in rural areas are also more likely to wait longer for care than those in urban places.
Trusts in places such as Devon, the Cotswolds and Lincolnshire were found to have the worst ambulance response times, the figures shows.
The data was obtained by the Liberal Democrats through a Freedom of Information request and comes as ambulance workers yesterday voted to strike.
Response times were provided for 227 local areas in England and split into different categories.
A category one incident has a seven minute response time, and the data showed that 83 per cent of areas in England missed this.
‘VERY WORRYING’
Those needing care in this category would be suffering from an immediate threat to life, such as a cardiac or respiratory arrest.
Saffron Cordery, chief of NHS Providers, said: “The potential for escalated action and prolonged, joint strikes by health unions in January is very worrying.
“The challenges strike action presents for the health service at a time when it is under serious strain across every part of the system is undeniable.
“This will inevitably have an impact on patients.”
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “NHS workers do an incredible job caring for our loved ones and it is disappointing some will be taking industrial action ahead of a challenging winter.
“Our priority is to ensure emergency services continue to operate for those who need it and limit disruption.
“People should continue to use NHS 111 online for urgent healthcare advice and call 999 if it is a life-threatening emergency.”