Yorkshire Ambulance workers back on strike
Members of Unison are walking out in a row over pay and staffing
Ambulance workers across North Yorkshire are going out on strike again today.
Members of Unison are walking out in a row over pay and staffing levels.
Ed Wood is a paramedic based at York station and tells he feels they've got no choice: "We feel we have to do this. we're losing so many members of staff as the whole of the NHS is because of the state that it is in. We feel like we've got no other choice but to do this.
Paramedics, emergency care assistants, ambulance technicians, other 999 crew members, call handlers and control room staff will be on picket lines across Yorkshire.
It's the fourth time that staff have walked out because of this current dispute. Ed explains it's never a decision they take lightly but conditions are horrendous: "I've been doing this for 23 years, this is the worst I've ever known it. We can deal with one patient all shift, and we can be waiting in the hospital for 8 or 10 hours. It's not fair on the patient, it's very stressful to watch them deteriorate in a corridor."
"Services will be severely disrupted"
Yorkshire Ambulance service is urging everyone to use the ambulance service wisely during industrial action.
Nick Smith, Executive Director of Operations at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said:
“During previous strike days, members of the public have generally responded as we’d asked them to and used our emergency service appropriately for very serious and life-threatening incidents. This means that more limited frontline resources can be used for those most in need.
“With further industrial action across key services, we will have less resources available to respond to patients on Friday 10 February. Services will be severely disrupted, with the likelihood of delays in emergency responses and telephone calls to 999 and NHS 111 being answered.
“We are asking the public once again to be mindful of the industrial action taking place and to use our services wisely, but particularly our emergency ambulance service. We will be here for those who really need us, but you should only call 999 when someone is in a life-threatening or very serious condition as we prioritise our responses.
“Ambulances will still be able to respond during the strike, but this will only be where there is an immediate risk to life. Less serious calls may not receive a response or a significantly delayed response for the duration of the strike action and some patients might be asked to make their own way to hospital, where it is safe for them to so.
“Patients waiting for an ambulance should only call back if their symptoms worsen or to cancel an ambulance if alternative transport has been arranged, so that our lines are available to take new emergency calls.”
“We also ask that people seek help and advice from alternative healthcare providers, including NHS 111 Online (111.nhs.uk), their own GP or by visiting a pharmacist.”
The Government's response
Downing Street says the continuing industrial action will concern the public. The prime minister's official spokesman said: "We are putting in place significant mitigations that have previously helped reduce some of the impact from these strikes.
"But first and foremost we would ask the unions to reconsider that approach and continue discussions."