Ambulance workers across Lincolnshire and Newark balloted on possible strike action

Paramedics and Ambulance workers across 11 trusts including the one that covers Lincolnshire and Newark are taking part in a strike vote.

Staff at East Midlands Ambulance Service will give their views.

Members of the GMB union are being balloted over pay and conditions.

We spoke to one Lincolnshire ambulance worker anonymously about the situation.

He told us: "People are genuinely choosing between putting the heating on and eating."

"Some ambulance staff are on as little as ten pound 37 an hour and there's just not enough money to see them through the end of the month."

"I seriously don't know how they help and support their families."

"We face pressure from long delays at hospital, we have high levels of sickness with people off with stress, anxiety and burnout."

"This puts greater pressure on those at work."

"We have an increased workload from demand."

"We genuinely fear for the safety of patients and not being able to get to them in a timely manner."

"Myself and colleagues are just mentally and physically fatigued."

"It's like a sponge that's been squeezed and there's nothing left to come out."

"This ballot gives us hope - we hope by ticking the box the Government sees sense and pay us what we're truly worth."

The Government says they'd given "one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least 14 hundred pounds this year".

They also said they value the work of staff.

• east midlands ambulance service