Today, the Health Secretary stated that ambulance unions have made a “deliberate decision to inflict harm on patients” by quitting their positions in a heated dispute over wages.
Steve Barclay has placed the burden squarely on the strikers as thousands of ambulance workers from three unions engage in industrial action today.
Nationwide NHS and ambulance trusts have declared critical events, with some worried that a lack of timely care may result in the death or severe disability of patients.
People have been reminded to make “smart” use of services, contacting 999 only in life-threatening emergencies and avoiding “risky” behavior.
Only services in the east of England and on the Isle of Wight will not be impacted by the strikes.
Today, thousands of ambulance personnel in England and Wales went on strike. Vehicles pictured at the Hollymoor Ambulance Hub in Birmingham
There is concern that the lack of ambulance staff could result in individuals dying or being crippled due to a lack of immediate care. Pictured: police cars stationed at Royal Liverpool Hospital, but no ambulances.
Steve Barclay, secretary of state for health, has criticized unions for “deliberately causing harm to patients.” The Health Secretary is pictured outside 10 Downing Street.
Workers from the Unison, Unite, and GMB unions will participate in today’s walkout, which is the first of its sort in more than three decades.
In places where the strike is occurring, unions have stated that they will only offer coverage for life-threatening emergencies.
This means that the elderly who fall, those who suffer a stroke, and even those who suffer a heart attack may miss out, leading to the possibility that they may be transported to the hospital by taxi.
Mr. Barclay, who had last-ditch discussions with unions last night in an attempt to prevent today’s strikes, stated in today’s Telegraph that they are the ones endangering patient safety.
He stated, “We now understand that the NHS’s contingency preparations will not cover all 999 calls.” The ambulance unions have made a deliberate decision to damage patients.
Mr. Barclay stated on Sky News that individuals should “apply common sense” when determining whether to dial 999.
Today, the system will be under extreme pressure.
We are urging the people to apply common sense with regard to their activities, keeping in mind the stresses placed on the system.
He stated that some decisions regarding what would be covered during today’s ambulance worker strikes will be made on the same day.
When asked why there was no national contingency plan in place for the industrial action, he responded, ‘The difficulty in putting contingency measures in place is due to the uncertainty surrounding what is and is not covered, and the fact that in some cases, these decisions will be made on the day itself.’
The national medical director of NHS England has warned that the ambulance strikes will cause a “very challenging day” for the health sector.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis spoke on the Today show on BBC Radio 4: ‘Today will be a very challenging day for the health care.
However, we have been working closely with the unions to guarantee that emergency services for life-threatening disorders, including stroke and heart attacks, are maintained.
There are more clinicians at call centres to guarantee that the appropriate response is dispatched for each event.
He stated that strokes are at the upper end of category two, so specialists will assess the appropriate approach, and he recommended people to call 999 ‘as usual’ if they have a life-threatening disease.
Unions have criticized the government for not negotiating with them throughout the issue. In addition to wages, they seek measures to improve working conditions and patient safety, they claim.
Christina McAnea, general secretary of Unison, stated yesterday night that if anyone die during the action, it will be “totally” the government’s fault.
She told TalkTV: ‘The only time they called me in for a meeting was today, the day before the strike, and it’s very irresponsible of them to refuse to begin any kind of conversations or discussions with us.’
Who is on strike?
Today, employees from the GMB, Unison, and Unite unions have walked out of their workplaces.
The following ambulance services in England and Wales will be affected:
North East Ambulance Service National Health Service Foundation Trust
NHS Trust of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service
Midlands Ambulance Service North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust University NHS Trust Foundation
East Middlesex NHS Ambulance Service Charity
South Western Ambulance Service National Health Service Foundation Trust
South Central Ambulance Service National Health Service Charity
South East Coast Ambulance Service National Health Service Foundation Trust
NHS London Ambulance Service Charity
Trust for Welsh Ambulance Services
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust and ambulance personnel on the Isle of Wight will not be affected.
Scottish and Northern Irish employees are also not participating in the strike.
Mr. Barclay vowed to avoid the ‘dangerous trap’ of having to negotiate with unions each winter.
He stated, “The British people would not forgive politicians like me if we spent every single winter negotiating with trade unions instead of addressing the country’s very genuine problems.”
However, future industrial action is a looming possibility. On December 28, there will be another ambulance strike, and Ms. McAnea has warned that 999 call handlers may join them.
Ms. McAnea stated, “We have not yet decided how long the evacuation will last or which groups will be evacuated, but our road crews are leaving tomorrow as an example.”
So these are the folks who are out with the ambulances; these are the paramedics, technicians, and specialized paramedics who are dispatched to deal with various situations. They are the ones who will be striking tomorrow.
We have not yet brought out the control room staff. Therefore, those who handle 999 calls will continue to work tomorrow. In reality, they will be quite busy since, as they do every day, they will be the ones triaging all the calls. However, we also have the option of bringing out our 999 members.’
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS organizations, stated on BBC Breakfast that he wanted to “encourage our colleagues in the ambulance service in the trade unions to work as cooperatively as possible to minimise patient harm during today’s industrial action.”
He continued, “These strikes are in addition to our already difficult position.”
“In the majority of the country, the ambulance service is far from fulfilling its targets for responding to category 2 situations, which are not life-threatening emergencies but are nonetheless extremely urgent and vital.
Therefore, this strike could not occur at a worse time given the difficulties facing the NHS.
As he pushed the government and unions to negotiate an agreement, he stated, “We cannot afford to enter a winter of industrial action.”
Mr. Taylor urged the public not to worry, saying, ‘It’s important to note that if you have a life-threatening situation, you must dial 999, and the trade unions have made it abundantly clear that they will react to such calls.
‘Also, the trade unions have agreed to react to the higher end of category 2 calls, so if you believe you need 999 services, and you truly do, then call them out and they will come to you.’
Dr. Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, stated that the emergency system has been under “intense pressure” for the past three years, with delays in patient transfer to A&E being “the worst we’ve ever seen” in the past year.
It will be impossible to determine the impact of industrial action on a system that is already failing to perform as desired, he told Times Radio.
During the ambulance strike, he added, A&E departments expected patients to arrive in a variety of ways, adding, ‘We expect people with strokes and heart attacks to show up at the front door. Now, due to the delays, this has already occurred rather frequently.
It is the best alternative to calling an ambulance; if you believe you can travel to the hospital in a safe and quick manner by hitching a ride, it may be the best course of action.
This month, ambulance employees joined nurses, rail workers, Border Force personnel, and postal workers on the picket line.
He stated that ‘hospitals are bulging at the seams’ and that some patients may face lengthy waits in A&E.
Almost no other European country had fewer beds than the United Kingdom, and this was coupled with difficulties in discharging patients into social care, he noted.
It comes one day after thousands of Royal College of Nursing (RCN) employees walked off the job in a salary dispute with the government.
Other businesses have also seen strikes, including the Border Patrol, the rail industry, the bus industry, and the postal service.
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