Members of the armed forces may drive ambulances and fill in frontline hospital roles under emergency strike plans.
Health and defence officials are reportedly drawing up a strategy as ambulance drivers and paramedics consider joining nurses on the picket lines in the coming months. The Times reported that the government could make use of military aid to the civil authorities protocol (Maca) in order to ensure that key NHS services continue to run.
Maca was previously used during the coronavirus pandemic to help NHS staff with delivering vaccines, testing, and providing protective equipment. However, no formal request has been made by the Department of Health and Social Care to the Ministry of Defence.
