English hospitals urged to free up beds before ambulance staff strike

Hospitals have been told to put in place measures to ensure ambulance patient handovers are kept to no more than 15 minutes. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

As many hospital beds as possible in England should be freed up ahead of “extensive disruption” caused by ambulance staff strikes, NHS bosses have said.

Ambulance staff in England and Wales are expected to walk out on 21 and 28 December in a dispute over pay, prompting fears about bed capacity across the service. Members of the Unison, Unite and GMB unions are expected to take part.