More ambulance workers in England have voted to strike, increasing the threat of widespread industrial action in the NHS ahead of Christmas. Unite the union announced on Wednesday (November 30) that strikes look set to begin ahead of the festive period following a vote.
It's members voted by up to 92 per cent to take action, with more details expected over the coming days. The union added that its ambulance service members report that they used to see 10 patients a day discharged safely into hospital, but they can now deal with only three, spending hours at a time sitting outside A&E with patients waiting to be seen.
Last month, more than 650 ambulance workers serving Cumbria, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Glossop were included in the ballot.
READ MORE North West Ambulance staff among thousands of workers to strike in row over pay and patient safety
The latest announcement follows similar votes for industrial action by ambulance and other NHS workers in Unison and the GMB. NHS chiefs have warned that the ambulance services will be 'incredibly stretched' due to the strikes.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “We will not sit back and watch as this government runs down our health service. This strike vote reflects the fact that ambulance staff, dedicated professionals to their core, have been left with no choice but to take a stand for the very future of the NHS itself and they have Unite’s 100 per cent support.
“Make no mistake, what the government is doing is a deliberate act of national self-harm. This is a political choice that the government knows will put the NHS on life support.
"They know exactly what to do to avert these strikes. It begins with urgently getting around the table with the NHS unions to address the crisis in staff and pay levels. There is absolutely no point having make-believe plans for the NHS if you have no staff left.”
The news comes as more than 10,000 ambulance workers voted to strike across nine trusts in England and Wales. The GMB said its members working as paramedics, emergency care assistants, call handlers and other staff are set to walk out at trusts across the UK, including the North West Ambulance Service.
The GMB added that workers across the ambulance services and some NHS trusts have voted to strike over the Government’s 4 per cent pay award, which it described as another 'massive real-terms pay cut'. It was reported that a third of GMB ambulance workers think delays they've been involved with have led to the death of a patient
And on Tuesday, there was an announcement by Unison that thousands of 999 call handlers, ambulance technicians, paramedics and their colleagues working for ambulance services, including in the North West, will strike over pay and staffing levels.
The union has been involved in a dispute over pay and staff numbers, stressing that services will continue to decline if these are not addressed. It comes after figures revealed that ambulance trusts in England have been repeatedly missing targets for reaching emergency patients.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I’m hugely grateful for the hard work and dedication of NHS staff and deeply regret some will be taking industrial action – which is in nobody’s best interests as we approach a challenging winter. Our economic circumstances mean unions’ demands are not affordable – each additional 1% pay rise for all staff on the Agenda for Change contract would cost around £700 million a year.
“We’ve prioritised the NHS with record funding and accepted the independent pay review body recommendations in full to give over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year, with those on the lowest salaries receiving an increase of up to 9.3 per cent. This is on top of 3 per cent last year when public sector pay was frozen and wider government support with the cost of living.
“Our priority is keeping patients safe during any strikes and the NHS has tried and tested plans to minimise disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate. My door remains open to discuss with the unions ways we can make the NHS a better place to work.”
The interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, added: “Trust leaders have been preparing for strikes, including the possibility of industrial action by different groups of NHS staff, and trusts affected will do everything in their power to keep disruption to a minimum.
“But with strikes by nurses and ambulance workers looming, trusts are rightly worried about the potential for coordinated and prolonged industrial action in the coming months. We understand why staff are voting for industrial action but it’s vital that the Government and unions talk urgently to find a way to prevent strikes which nobody wants to see.
“Trust leaders remain committed to ensuring the safe delivery of care and supporting the wellbeing of staff throughout any industrial action.”
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