One North East paramedic has warned that a pay dispute which has led to strike action is just the "straw that broke the camel's back" - and that the NHS is in crisis.
John Lennon, a County Durham-based rapid response paramedic who has worked for the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) for around a decade, told ChronicleLive that the decision to walk out taken by himself and his colleagues in unions GMB, UNISON and Unite had been "a very, very difficult decision" and the result of "serious soul-searching". John - a UNISON member - said he didn't understand why the Government has refused to negotiate with health unions.
The regional general secretary of UNISON - Clare Williams - also reiterated John's concerns, and called for the Government to drop its "belligerent" attitude and sit down at the negotiating table. The 24-hour walkout on Wednesday affects members of the three unions working in 10 of 11 ambulance services across England and Wales, including NEAS. One of the unions - GMB - has a second strike planned for December 28.
