Ambulance strike – live: Fears of A&E ‘rebound’ in days after drivers walk out

Conncerns are mounting over the possibility of a “rebound” in A&E over the next few days, as people hold off calling for an ambulance due to strike fears.

The president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Adrian Boyle, said that he’s worried people aren’t seeking the care they need during today’s ambulance strike.

Speaking to The Telegraph, he expressed concerns about a “rebound effect” in the coming days.

He said: “We have anxieties about people not seeking help when they should,” continuing: “We are particularly concerned about a rebound effect which means things could be much worse in the days to come.”

Union leaders have accused health secretary Steve Barclay of “complete and utter fabrication” amid ambulance staff strikes in England and Wales.

Mr Barclay accused trade unions of making a “conscious decision” to “inflict harm” on patients as thousands strike over disputes about pay, staffing and working conditions.

Rachel Harrison, national secretary at GMB union, said: “Ambulance workers are seething at such a crude, insulting attempt to divert attention from the government’s continued chaos in the NHS.”

NHS ‘cannot keep patients safe’ during strikes and PM ‘should negotiate’

Tuesday 20 December 2022 15:30 , Emily Atkinson

NHS leaders cannot keep patients safe during strikes and there is “deep worry”, health chiefs have warned, as they urged the Prime Minister to reopen talks on pay.

In a last-minute intervention, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents most NHS organisations, has written to Rishi Sunak requesting an end to the deadlock with unions who are striking over pay and conditions.

Thousands of nurses staged their second walkout over pay on Tuesday and paramedics and ambulance workers are getting ready to hold a strike on Wednesday.

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports:

NHS ‘cannot keep patients safe’ during strikes and PM ‘should negotiate’

Heart attack patients ‘must have timely care despite strikes'

Tuesday 20 December 2022 15:40 , Emily Atkinson

Jules Payne, chief executive of Heart UK, said it was important that heart attack patients got timely care during the ambulance strike.

He said: “Heart attack patients and their families will rightly expect anyone seeking emergency help to get expert care, quickly, despite the strikes.”

Ministers’ treatment of ambulance service is ‘putting lives at risk’

Tuesday 20 December 2022 15:50 , Emily Atkinson

Unison’s Christina McAnea said government is putting the public at risk by taking ambulances off the roads to train military personnel to drive them during Wednesday’s strikes.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with health secretary Steve Barclay, she said: “People’s lives are at risk every single day because of the way ambulance services have been treated.

“We understand that where they’re bringing in the military, that ambulances have been taken off the road so that military personnel can be familiarised with them.

“That is putting members of the public at risk instead of taking time to talk to us about how we resolve it”.

Health committee chair unable to grill PM over NHS strikes ‘due to illness'

Tuesday 20 December 2022 15:53 , Emily Atkinson

Steve Brine, the Tory MP who chairs the Commons Health Committee, is missing from today’s hearing because he is home sick with the “flu.”

Barclay insists ‘door remains open’ for further union talks

Tuesday 20 December 2022 16:05 , Emily Atkinson

Health secretary Steve Barclay said it was “disappointing” union members were going ahead with further strike action but added “my door remains open to further talks”.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “I hugely value the work of our NHS staff & it’s disappointing some union members are going ahead with further strike action - my door remains open to further talks.

“Unions have called for industrial action to cause maximum disruption & inevitably this will have an impact.

“My priority remains patient safety. We have contingency plans in place & I have met with ambulance union reps today unisontheunion, unitetheunion, GMB-union & AACE-org urging them to honour their commitment to provide responses to life-threatening emergency calls.

“People should come forward for emergency care & attend appointments unless contacted.

“Ultimately union demands are unaffordable during these challenging times but as I’ve said before, I’m open to engaging with unions on how to make the NHS a better place to work.”

PM refuses to rule out 12p rise in fuel duty next year

Tuesday 20 December 2022 16:13 , Aisha Rimi

Rishi Sunak refused to rule out the prospect of motorists facing a 12p-a-litre hike in fuel duty in March.

A 23 per cent increase in the duty is pencilled in for March 2023, but chancellors have repeatedly frozen the levy.

Asked to confirm that the rise would not go ahead, the Prime Minister told MPs that he would not comment on matters which were the responsibility of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

“Having previously had his job, I always preferred it when the Prime Minister made absolutely no comments about future tax policy, so I will absolutely adhere to that,” he told the Liaison Committee.

“Tax decisions are those that are made by the Chancellor in fiscal statements and that’s the way it should be.”

Mr Hunt will deliver a Budget on March 15.

Tuesday 20 December 2022 16:24 , Aisha Rimi

Mr Sunak said his message to workers contemplating striking this Christmas was that the best way they could help themselves was by allowing the government to bring down high inflation.

He told the Liaisons Committee: “I’ve acknowledged it is difficult, it’s difficult for everybody because inflation is where it is. And the best way to help them and help everyone else in the country is for us to get a grip and reduce inflation as quickly as possible.

“And we need to make sure that the decisions that we make can bring about that outcome. Because if we get it wrong and we’re still dealing with high inflation in a year’s time, that’s not going to help anybody.

“I don’t want to see that, I want to see things get back to normal, and that’s why having an independent pay process is an important part of us making those decisions and getting them correct.”

PM evasive as he faces questions on whether the UK would leave ECHR

Tuesday 20 December 2022 16:33 , Aisha Rimi

Rishi Sunak repeatedly refused to say whether the UK would have to leave or derogate from the European Convention on Human Rights in order to deliver his plan for removing asylum seekers who arrive illegally.

Pressed by the SNP’s Joanna Cherry while giving evidence to the Commons Liaison Committee, the Prime Minister said: “You will see the legislation next year and no doubt we will have the opportunity to debate it then but I wouldn’t want to speculate on that now.

“I want to fix this problem. I am going to do everything I need to to fix the problem of illegal migration in small boats coming here and we will introduce legislation in the new year.”

Hospitals to turn A&E patients away after declaring critical incident

Tuesday 20 December 2022 16:59 , Aisha Rimi

NHS leaders in the West Midlands have admitted patients are coming to harm as “extreme pressure” pushes A&Es to turn patients away regardless of if they are accepted elsewhere, The Independent has learned.

Emergency departments in Worcestershire and Redditch health system have declared a critical incident and warned of delays in off-loading patients from ambulances to A&E.

Hospitals in the region may be forced to put ITU patients in corridors if pressures on A&Es and ambulances aren’t mitigated, according to an email seen by The Independent.

Rebecca Thomas has the full story:

Hospitals to turn A&E patients away after declaring critical incident

Royal Mail workers confirm fresh strikes before Christmas

Tuesday 20 December 2022 17:19 , Aisha Rimi

Royal Mail workers have confirmed fresh strikes two days before Christmas.

The Communication Workers Union confirmed two days of strikes on Friday 23 December and Christmas Eve.

An offer extended to the company to suspend the strikes and establish a period of calm from now until 16 January 2023, as well as the union and the company both signing a joint statement incorporating Royal Mail’s latest promise of no compulsory redundancies, was rejected almost immediately, according to the Communication Workers Union (CWU).

Thomas Kingsley has the full story:

Royal Mail workers confirm fresh strikes before Christmas

London bus drivers to stage fresh wave of strikes

Tuesday 20 December 2022 17:38 , Aisha Rimi

Bus drivers in London are to stage a fresh wave of strikes in a dispute over pay, which will see over 1000 drivers walk out.

Members of Unite employed by Abellio in south and west London will strike on 24, 27 and 31 December and 4, 5, 10, 12, 16, 19, 25 and 26 January. The bus drivers have already taken 10 days of strike action.

The dispute initially involved 950 drivers, but Unite said its membership has since doubled.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Abellio is content to hoard mountains of cash but has imposed a completely unacceptable pay offer on its drivers.

“It is disgraceful behaviour and our members are rightly furious. Unite always fights to defend and improve members’ jobs, pay and conditions and Abellio’s south and west London workforce have their union’s unflinching support.”

Unite said more strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved.

Meeting with health secretary ‘entirely pointless’, says union leader

Tuesday 20 December 2022 17:55 , Aisha Rimi

Onay Kasab, the national lead officer for Unite – one of the unions representing ambulance workers – has called a meeting he held with Health Secretary Steven Barclay “entirely pointless” as the Cabinet minister “refused to discuss pay”.

He said: “The meeting was made entirely pointless by the attitude of Stephen Barclay who refused to discuss pay. How he hopes to get movement and resolve the dispute without discussing the key issue is mystifying.

“It is disgraceful that the Government is failing to take action to avoid NHS strikes, the unions are willing to talk but the Government isn’t.

“Barclay was only prepared to talk about derogations, which was futile as these have been thrashed out and agreed down to a fine-tooth comb at a local level.

“His appeal that the agreements on emergency cover are respected was frankly insulting. Our members are taking strike action as an absolute last resort as they witness the NHS crumble on a daily basis.

“Not only are they committed to covering emergency calls tomorrow, but our members will immediately leave picket lines if a trust for any reason can’t cope with emergencies.”

In Pictures: Striking nurses march in London

Tuesday 20 December 2022 18:15 , Aisha Rimi

PM under pressure to negotiate health workers’ pay

Tuesday 20 December 2022 18:39 , Aisha Rimi

Rishi Sunak is under growing pressure from Tory backbenchers to back down and negotiate on pay with striking health workers as disruption is set to increase with ambulance walkouts.

Adding his name to a list of Conservatives calling for better talks, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “In my view, both sides need to offer a little bit of flexibility.

“Nurses at a 19 per cent pay demand is completely unrealistic, government just parroting out the lines of ‘pay review’ is also unrealistic.

“These things have got to be solved by negotiation, they’ve both got to get around the table and see what can be done in the interests of the people in this country.

“The people who are desperately likely to need this service over Christmas, it is a really worrying time if you get a heart attack or something like that.”

Just 1 in 10 people blame nurses for NHS strike

Tuesday 20 December 2022 18:58 , Aisha Rimi

Just one in 10 people blame nurses for the NHS strike as pressure mounts on the government to negotiate.

A new poll released on Tuesday as the effects of the strike bite shows net support for nurses has actually risen by 7 per cent since stoppages were announced in November.

The Savanta survey found that the majority of the public, 54 per cent, blame the government for resisting nurses’ pay demands.

Jon Stone has the full story:

Just 1 in 10 people blame nurses for NHS strike as pressure mounts on government

Railway to be crippled for a week in January as union stages fresh strike

Tuesday 20 December 2022 19:55 , Thomas Kingsley

Train drivers are to stage a fresh strike in the first week of January, threatening an entire week of rail chaos as Britons return to work after the festive break.

Members of the drivers’ union Aslef at 15 train companies will walk out on Thursday 5 January.

It comes on top of existing strikes by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 14 train operators on 3 and 4 January and 6 and 7 January, meaning services are set to be crippled for a week.

Read the full story below:

Railway to be crippled for a week in January as union stages fresh strike

Wales’s health minister warns public not to 'add extra pressure’ on ambulance crews ahead of strikes

Tuesday 20 December 2022 20:10 , Aisha Rimi

Wales's health minister, Eluned Morgan, has urged the public not to “add extra pressure” on the ambulance service on strike day, warning crews will only be able to respond to “the most urgent calls”.

Ms Morgan said: “There’s no doubt the two days of industrial action, following hard on the heels of action by nurses which have caused a delay in treatment for thousands of patients in Wales, are going to cause huge pressure on ambulance services.

“Ambulances will only be abe to respond to the most urgent calls on strike days.

“Please don’t add extra pressure on services on these days and consider carefully what activities you take part in tomorrow and on the 28th.

“It’s important to call 999 if in you are in immediate danger, but we must all consider very carefully how we use ambulance services on these days.

“It’s vital that all of us, as users of our NHS, do all we can to minimise pressure on our health service during the industrial action.”

UK Border Force strikes: which airports are affected?

Tuesday 20 December 2022 20:30 , Aisha Rimi

Border Force staff are set to go on strike over the Christmas period, affecting some of the UK’s biggest airports.

The strikes have been announced by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, due to an ongoing dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.

This action may affect many people’s Christmas travel plans, with a threat looming of both long airport queues and flight cancellations.

Find out which airports will be affected by Border Force strikes:

Which airports are affected by UK Border Force strikes?

Public warned against ‘risky activity’ as ambulance strikes send NHS into meltdown

Tuesday 20 December 2022 20:50 , Aisha Rimi

Britons have been warned not to take risks – including drinking, driving or playing certain sports – as ambulance services descended into chaos hours before a planned strike.

At least seven of 10 ambulance trusts declared “critical incidents” amid “unprecedented” pressure on services, while NHS leaders warned they could not guarantee patient safety during Wednesday’s walkout in England and Wales.

Junior health minister Will Quince warned the public to avoid unnecessary car journeys, contact sports and any other “risky activities”, while health chiefs urged people to “drink responsibly”.

Read the full story:

Public warned against ‘risky activity’ amid NHS ambulance strike chaos

All the UK strike dates confirmed for January 2023

Tuesday 20 December 2022 21:10 , Aisha Rimi

Britain’s “winter of discontent” looks set to rumble on into the new year after a month of bitter strikes in December brought the country to a standstill and placed Christmas in jeopardy for many.

From nurses and railway staff, to postal workers and driving examiners, thousands of workers have all walked out in recent weeks as disputes between their employers and unions about pay and working conditions rumble on at a time when the UK remains mired in economic crisis.

What’s more, few of those conflicts have been resolved, leading many unions to threaten further industrial action in January.

Joe Sommerlad brings you the full list of strikes scheduled across the UK in January:

All the UK strike dates confirmed for January 2023

Nurse strikes after Christmas 'highly likely', warns Royal College of Nursing chief

Tuesday 20 December 2022 21:40 , Aisha Rimi

Nurses are “highly likely” to go on strike again after Christmas if the Welsh Government maintains its “silence”, a Royal College of Nursing chief has warned.

Nicky Hughes, associate director of nursing at RCN Wales, claimed health minister Eluned Morgan had refused all calls by the union to enter into negotiations about pay with them up to and during the strike day on Tuesday.

Ms Hughes said nurses were prepared to “continue the fight” if no deal was reached, but said discussions were still ongoing about what the union’s next steps would be.

“We’ve seen such an impact over the day with lots of our members out on the picket lines and members of the public have been so generous and supportive throughout, I think we’ve got the public behind us and that’s really important,” Ms Hughes said.

“But we’ve had absolute silence from the Welsh Government. The health minister last asked us to go to a meeting as a trade union on the 12th and yet again there was nothing on the table in terms of a meaningful pay award.

“We’ve asked them constantly to come back and open negotiations, even calling on the First Minister Mark Drakeford yesterday to come to the table and avert today’s strike, but there was just silence.

“The Welsh Government says it’s because of the Westminster Government, however, in Wales health is a devolved matter and it’s for the Welsh Government to manage and fund appropriately the NHS in Wales.

“Unless they do, we will continue to haemorrhage nurses. As it is, the NHS is on a knife-edge.”

On future strike action Ms Hughes said: “If the silence continues then it is highly likely. However, discussions are being held and none of that has been decided yet.”

ICYMI: Heart attack and stroke patients could be denied ambulances during strike

Tuesday 20 December 2022 22:00 , Thomas Kingsley

People suffering from heart attacks or strokes at home may not be able to get an ambulance at home when staff strike on Wednesday, NHS officials have said.

Health secretary Steve Barclay will meet with union officials on Tuesday to insist that both category 1 calls, the most immediate life-threatening cases, and category 2 calls – including heart attacks and strokes – are answered.

Members of GMB, Unison and Unite unions will strike at ambulance services across England and Wales, but there are growing fears that emergency provision will be patchy in many parts of the country.

Read the full story below:

Heart attack patients could be denied ambulances during strike

Eight of England’s 10 ambulance services declare critical incidents

Tuesday 20 December 2022 22:24 , Andy Gregory

Eight of England’s 10 ambulance services have declared critical incidents, as NHS leaders warned they could not guarantee patient safety in the face of strikes by thousands of paramedics.

In declaring critical incidents, ambulance services said they had come under “extreme” and sustained pressure in recent days, blamed in part on huge volumes of emergency 999 calls and delays in handing patients over to hospitals.

Emergency 999 calls are up 50 per cent on this time last year and 111 calls are also 75 higher over the same period, according to the Southwestern Ambulance Service.

You can read the full report here:

Eight of England’s 10 ambulance services declare critical incidents

‘Clock running’ for Sunak to avoid post-Christmas nursing strikes, says union chief

Tuesday 20 December 2022 22:52 , Andy Gregory

The “clock is running” for Rishi Sunak to enter negotiations in order to avoid nurses announcing post-Christmas strikes by the end of the week, Royal College of Nursing general secretary Pat Cullen has warned.

Tuesday’s 12-hour walkout, the second in less than a week, saw around 10,000 NHS nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland stay absent from work, with many taking to picket lines to express their concern over pay, staffing levels and patient safety.

“Today, the prime minister looked out of step with the country he leads. But he could still make this the last nurse strike of his premiership,” said Ms Cullen.

“With the end of today’s strike, a clock is running for the prime minister. There are two days for us to meet and begin to turn this around by Christmas. By Friday, we will be announcing the dates and hospitals for a strike next month.

“Westminster may be shutting for Christmas tonight but nursing staff are readying for their shifts over the next two weeks and looking at the new year with trepidation. We are not looking for a miracle, just the fair pay and recognition that is in the prime minister’s gift.”

The RCN is calling for nurses to be awarded a 5 per cent plus inflation pay rise. The current rate of inflation in the UK is over 10 per cent.

NHS worker calls for nurses to have ‘dignified wage for responsibilities they hold'

Tuesday 20 December 2022 23:48 , Andy Gregory

Speaking outside the Heath Hospital in Cardiff, Helen Perriam, a mental health nurse for 10 years, told the PA news agency that her family lived “pay cheque to pay cheque” and called for nurses to have a “dignified wage for the responsibilities [they] hold”.

Ms Perriam accused the UK government of “shafting” nurses and said the decision not to award a larger pay increase was a political one.

Welsh nursing union condemns ‘absolute silence’ from government

Wednesday 21 December 2022 00:40 , Andy Gregory

Nicky Hughes, associate director of nursing at the Royal College of Nursing Wales, has claimed that Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan refused calls by the union to enter into negotiations about pay.

Nurses were prepared to “continue the fight” if no deal was reached, Ms Hughes said, adding that discussions were continuing about what the union’s next steps would be.

“We’ve seen such an impact over the day with lots of our members out on the picket lines and members of the public have been so generous and supportive throughout. I think we’ve got the public behind us and that’s really important,” Ms Hughes said.

“But we’ve had absolute silence from the Welsh government. The health minister last asked us to go to a meeting as a trade union on the 12th and yet again there was nothing on the table in terms of a meaningful pay award.

“We’ve asked them constantly to come back and open negotiations, even calling on the first minister Mark Drakeford yesterday to come to the table and avert today’s strike, but there was just silence.

“The Welsh government says it’s because of the Westminster government, however, in Wales health is a devolved matter and it’s for the Welsh government to manage and fund appropriately the NHS in Wales. Unless they do, we will continue to haemorrhage nurses. As it is, the NHS is on a knife-edge.”

Health secretary urges people to take ‘extra care’ on Wednesday

Wednesday 21 December 2022 01:44 , Andy Gregory

Health secretary Steve Barclay has urged the public to take “extra care” as ambulance staff strike in a bid to partially address a decade of falling real-terms wages.

Mr Barclay described Wednesday’s walkout by staff in England and Wales as “deeply regrettable” and insisted his “number one priority” is patient safety. With fewer ambulances on the road, he appealed to people to plan their activities “accordingly” and check up on vulnerable neighbours and family.

“Our ambulance staff are incredibly dedicated to their job and it is deeply regrettable some union members are going ahead with strike action. My number one priority is to keep patients safe,” he said.

“The government and NHS colleagues have been working to protect safe staffing levels. However, there will be fewer ambulances on the road due to industrial action and the NHS will be prioritising those with life-threatening needs.

“My message to the public is to take extra care and plan your activity accordingly. You may also want to check up on more vulnerable friends, family and neighbours.”

Meeting pay demands would take money away from frontline services, says Barclay

Wednesday 21 December 2022 02:51 , Andy Gregory

Health secretary Steve Barclay has said that meeting NHS staff pay demands would take resources away from frontline services.

“These are challenging times but we have accepted the recommendations of the independent NHS pay review body in full, meaning most ambulance staff have received a rise of at least 4 per cent,” he said.

“This will take average earnings to about £47,000 per person. Further pay increases would mean taking money away from frontline services at a time when we are tackling record waiting lists as a result of the pandemic.”

Railway to be crippled for a week in January as union stages fresh strike

Wednesday 21 December 2022 03:54 , Alan Jones

Train drivers are to stage a fresh strike in the first week of January, threatening an entire week of rail chaos as Britons return to work after the festive break.

Members of the drivers’ union Aslef at 15 train companies will walk out on Thursday 5 January.

It comes on top of existing strikes by members of the RMT union at Network Rail and 14 train operators on 3 and 4 January and 6 and 7 January, meaning services are set to be crippled for a week.

Railway to be crippled for a week in January as union stages fresh strike

Hospitals to turn A&E patients away after declaring critical incident

Wednesday 21 December 2022 04:58 , Andy Gregory

NHS leaders in the West Midlands have admitted patients are coming to harm as “extreme pressure” pushes A&Es to turn patients away regardless of if they are accepted elsewhere, The Independent revealed yesterday.

Emergency departments in Worcestershire and Redditch health system declared a critical incident and warned of delays in off-loading patients from ambulances to A&E.

Hospitals in the region may be forced to put ITU patients in corridors if pressures on A&Es and ambulances aren’t mitigated, according to an email seen by The Independent.

Our health correspondent Rebecca Thomas has the full report here:

Hospitals to turn A&E patients away after declaring critical incident

Barclay accuses unions of ‘conscious decision’ to ‘inflict harm’ on patients

Wednesday 21 December 2022 05:59 , Andy Gregory

Health secretary Steve Barclay has accused trade unions of making a “conscious decision” to “inflict harm” on patients as thousands of ambulance staff walk out on the first of two one-day strikes.

As NHS leaders warned they could not guarantee patient safety, unions angrily accused the government of putting lives at risk by refusing to engage with them on the issue of pay at talks on Tuesday.

But writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Barclay said: “We now know that the NHS contingency plans will not cover all 999 calls. Ambulance unions have made a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients.”

Union leaders have insisted there would still be cover for the most serious calls through a series of local agreements, and Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has described claims by ministers that many serious calls would receive no response as “misleading” and “at worst deliberately scaremongering”.

Fewer ambulances expected today

Wednesday 21 December 2022 06:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Ambulance services are likely to be hit today as thousands of workers in England and Wales join nurses in striking over pay.

Rachel Harrison, GMB Union national secretary, said the government could solve the dispute at any time.

“We have tried everything to raise pay, the issue that is causing this dispute, but the government will not listen and will not talk,” she said in a statement.She added that ambulance workers deserve better.

“The government needs to talk pay now.”

Unions have asked for a rise above inflation, which stood at 10.7% on the consumer price measure in November.

Government refuses to give way on pay as nurses, medics strike

Wednesday 21 December 2022 07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The British government has said that it will not offer more money to nurses and ambulance crews to end strikes that are piling pressure on an already overstretched health system.

The government insists it can’t get directly involved in pay talks between unions and employers.

Read this report by the Associated Press:

UK govt refuses to give way on pay as nurses, medics strike

ICYMI: Public warned against ‘risky activity’ amid ambulance strikes

Wednesday 21 December 2022 07:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Britons have been warned not to take risks – including drinking, driving or playing certain sports – as ambulance services descended into chaos hours before a planned strike.

Rebecca Thomas, Adam Forrest, Kate Devlin report:

Public warned against ‘risky activity’ amid NHS ambulance strike chaos

Health Secretary says public should “use common sense” amid ambulance strikes

Wednesday 21 December 2022 07:45 , Furvah Shah

Health Secretary Stephen Barclay MP says the public should “use their common sense” as ambulance services strike nationwide today.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Barclay said: “The public needs to exercise common sense in terms of what activities they do.”

He added that people should “be mindful” of pressures on the health service, as life-threatening calls are being prioritised but no national exemptions apply.

Government’s fault if people die during ambulance strike, says union leader

Wednesday 21 December 2022 08:00 , Furvah Shah

Rishi Sunak’s government will be to blame for any additional deaths which happen during Wednesday’s ambulance strike, a health union leader has said.

Christina McAnea, Unison general secretary, said extra fatalities would “absolutely” be the fault of ministers because of their refusal to negotiate over a pay rise.

“They have been totally irresponsible,” she told TalkTV. “It’s completely irresponsible of them to refuse to open any kind of discussions or negotiations with us.”

Adam Forrest has more.

Government’s fault if people die during ambulance strike, says union leader

NHS executive says “strike could not be happening at a worse time”

Wednesday 21 December 2022 08:10 , Furvah Shah

“Strikes could not be happening at a worse time because of the pressures the NHS faces,” says NHS executive.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS organisations, told BBC Breakfast he wanted to “encourage our colleagues in the ambulance service in the trade unions to work as co-operatively as they can through today’s industrial action to try to minimise patient harm”.

He added: “These strikes come on top of the fact that we are already in a very challenging situation.

“In most parts of the country the ambulance service is well away from meeting its targets for responses to those kind of category two cases - so not absolutely urgently, life threatening, but still very important urgent and critical cases.

“So, this strike could not be happening at a worse time because of the pressures the NHS faces.”

Health secretary Steve Barclay accuses unions of choosing to ‘inflict harm’ on patients

Wednesday 21 December 2022 08:15 , Furvah Shah

Health secretary Steve Barclay has accused trade unions of making a “conscious decision” to “inflict harm” on patients as thousands of ambulance staff walk out on the first of two one-day strikes.

In The Daily Telegraph, Mr Barclay wrote: “We now know that the NHS contingency plans will not cover all 999 calls.

“Ambulance unions have made a conscious choice to inflict harm onpatients.”

Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said claims serious calls would receive no response were “misleading” and “at worst deliberately scaremongering” by ministers.

Gavin Cordon has more.

Steve Barclay accuses unions of choosing to ‘inflict harm’ on patients

In pictures: Ambulance workers strike in Coventry, West Midlands

Wednesday 21 December 2022 08:25 , Furvah Shah

Ambulance workers are on picket lines outside ambulance headquarters in Coventry this morning during planned strike action co-ordinated by the GMB, Unite and Unison unions over pay and conditions.

Union secretary says health secretary Steve Barclay is “insulting” ambulance workers

Wednesday 21 December 2022 08:40 , Furvah Shah

Health secretary Steve Barclay is "insulting" ambulance workers, says union secretary.

Mr Barclay has accused trade unions of making a "conscious decision" to "inflict harm" on patients in England and Wales by striking.

Rachel Harrison, the GMB union national secretary, told the BBC: "It's really insulting that the Secretary of State has said that. They have not taken the decision to take strike action lightly.

"They feel they have been forced into this position because year after year the Government has failed to listen to them."

Asked if there would be harm to patients as a result of the walkout, she said: "The sad reality is that patients are being harmed every single day, and that's when we're not on strike.

"The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives themselves report that the increasing number of handover delays and waiting times is leading to harm to patients and deaths.

"So, that's happening when we're not on strike. It's issues like that which have forced our members into this position."

Barclay blaming unions for ‘uncertainty’ in emergency cover

Wednesday 21 December 2022 08:46 , Furvah Shah

Health secretary Steve Barclay has said there is “uncertainty” and “volatility” in cover for emergencies during Wednesday’s strike, blaming unions for failing to guarantee staff will respond to all emergencies.

Mr Barclay met with union officials on Tuesday to urge them to make sure category two emergency 999 calls – including heart attacks and strokes – are answered as well as the most immediate life-threatening emergencies in category one.

But unions officials insisted that emergency cover had been negotiated with individual ambulance trusts, with regional differences down to different pressures and decisions by trust leaders about how to prioritise calls.

Mr Barclay told GB News that unions “have been unwilling to give exemptions to cover all life-threatening and emergency calls – they’ve said they wanted to negotiate those on a local trust basis. It creates much greater uncertainty”.

He told BBC Breakfast: “If you’re calling people to respond to life-threatening and emergency calls from the picket line, that creates further volatility.”

Union general says it’s “entirely likely” strikes could continue in new year

Wednesday 21 December 2022 09:00 , Furvah Shah

Unison general secretary, Christina McAnea, said it’s “entirely likely” strikes could continue in the new year.

Ms McAnea said the NHS is “crumbling” under this government and she is “genuinely shocked” at health secretary Steve Barclay’s claims that there have been little to no contigency plans for emergencies made.

Speaking on LBC Radio, she said it was “utter nonsense” and a “complete and utter lie” to suggest unions had made it almost impossible for the government to make plans.

“I think they’re covering up for the fact that he waited until the day before the strike to even ask us about contingency planning,” she said.

On how listeners should repsond amid strikes if they had a road accident, had a fall on a bike or fell off a ladder, she said: “They should be as concerned today as they are every other day because those are exactly the kind of instances where it’s almost impossible to get an ambulance to go out because ambulances are so stretched.”

Ms McAnea said there were thousands of staff vacancies and “the NHS, the whole system, is basically crumbling under this Government”.

The union chief added that it was "entirely likely" strikes would go into the new year, adding that the government should "come clean" with staff that they could not provide a safe and reliable service owing to a lack of staff and poor planning.

Derbyshire health and care system declares critical incident

Wednesday 21 December 2022 09:17 , Furvah Shah

The Derbyshire health and care system has delcared a critical incident due to pressure on services reaching new levels in the last 24 hours.

The service is experiencing an rise in the number of patients arriving to hospitals in ambulances and increased waiting times in emergency departments.

People are being urged to only call 999 or attend A&E if it is an emergency while staff try to manage and alleviate pressure through providing more beds, cancelling non-essential training and and diverting staff.

Woman, 93, left ‘screaming in pain’ after waiting 25 hours for ambulance

Wednesday 21 December 2022 09:21 , Furvah Shah

A 93-year-old woman was left “screaming in pain” on the floor of her care home for 25 hours while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, her family says.

Elizabeth Davies fractured her hip after suffering a fall in her care home in northwest Wales at the weekend.

The Welsh Ambulance Service has apologised for the care received and said winter pressures and a surge in demand had contributed to long wait times.

Zoe Tidman has more.

Woman, 93, left ‘screaming in pain’ waiting 25 hours for ambulance on floor

Welsh ambulance service workers leave picket line to respond to emergencies

Wednesday 21 December 2022 09:40 , Furvah Shah

An Welsh ambulance service have been called away from the picket line to respond to emergency calls, a GMB union representative has said.

Nathan Holman, the union’s South West and Wales representative, tweeted a video of himself alone at Pentwyn service station in Cardiff just before 8am on Wednesday - less than one hour into the day-long walkout.

Mr Holman said: “I’m standing here on the picket line outside Pentwyn ambulance station.

“Unfortunately, all the members have had to go because, as you can see behind me, there’s only one vehicle left, they’ve all jumped on a vehicle and responded to emergency calls.

“So, just shows we’re still responding to the public.”

Around 1,500 ambulance staff in Wales are expected to take part in Wednesday’s industrial action.

Crews are still required to respond to critical 999 calls, but despite this the service is expected to be “significantly impacted”, according to the Welsh Government.

Pregnant mothers “not guaranteed” an ambulance during strikes, says NHS

Wednesday 21 December 2022 10:00 , Furvah Shah

Pregnant mothers are being told there is “no guarantee” an ambulance or parademic will come to your home during strikes.

For women who are close to their due date, they are being advised to make alternative plans to get to hospital such as by car or taxi.

“Dor women expecting a baby, if there is a possibility you might give birth on one of the strike days there is no guarantee that an ambulance or paramedic will come to your home to attend you in labour or in the event of an emergency,” said he Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

“Please, therefore, make sure you have plans to get to hospital, for example by car or taxi. If you think you are in labour or have any concerns call our Maternity Triage Department immediately

In pictures: Ambulance staff in Liverpool on strike

Wednesday 21 December 2022 10:15 , Furvah Shah

Ambulance workers are striking outside the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in Liverpool this morning, amid a dispute with the government over pay and conditions.

Pregnant women advised against home births during strikes

Wednesday 21 December 2022 10:23 , Furvah Shah

Pregnant women are being advised against home births and to call triages as early as possible if needed during strikes.

Delays to ambulance services due to strike action means expectant mothers may experience delays in the case of an emergency.

NHS Lewisham and Greenwich Trust wrote: “We understand that the potential delay in ambulance response times may cause concern to those who are planning a homebirth. In view of this, we recommend that, if you go into labour on the day of the strike, you should give birth in one of our Birth Centres.

“We recognise that this recommendation may be disappointing, but we are committed to ensuring that the safety of our women and birthing people is maintained at all times.

“If you make an informed decision to labour and birth at home during this period, the homebirth midwives will still attend to provide you with care,” they continued. “However, this may compromise the safety of you and your baby.

“If ambulances are not available, delays in treatment may happen, and this could have an impact on the mother’s and/or baby’s health and wellbeing.”

Most England ambulance trusts declare critical incidents

Wednesday 21 December 2022 10:48 , Furvah Shah

Almost all of the ambulance trusts in England have declared critical incidents, with huge pressure and disruption causing potential risks to patients.

Many trusts have said that they were facing difficulties before strikes began on Wednesday, which has seen thousands of ambulance workers and paramedics take action in a dispute over pay and conditions.

A critical incident is defined by the NHS as “any localised incident where the level of disruption results in the organisation temporarily or permanently losing its ability to deliver critical services, patients may have been harmed or the environment is not safe requiring special measures and support from other agencies, to restore normal operating functions”.

Declaring a critical incident on Monday, East of England Ambulance Service NHS services in that region were under “huge pressure as a consequence of 999 call volumes and hospital handover delays”.

The service said declaring a critical incident would allow it to “ensure our resources are focused on patients with the greatest need, as well as allow us to access wider support from our health and care partners”.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it had declared its incident on Tuesday as a result of “significant demand pressures impacting on its ability to respond safely to patients”.

South Central Ambulance Service said on Tuesday it was under “extreme pressure which escalated over the weekend and has continued into this week”.

It said the industrial action planned this month “may add further pressure”.

Union leader defends ambulance workers crossing picket line to attend 999 calls

Wednesday 21 December 2022 11:00 , Furvah Shah

A union leader has defended ambulance workers who cross the picket line to attend to emergency calls.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said: “I don’t think it [crossing the picket line] undermines the strike action at all.

“When they are coming out on the blue lights we are clapping them as they come out because we know is where they want to be is treating patients.

“Where I want them to be is treating patients so we have tried to do our best to make sure the patients do not suffer,” she continued.

“If there is a category one incident we are proud that they are going out to treat those patients who need critical help.”

During strike action, emergency and life-threatening calls are still being responded to and prioritised by NHS staff.

In pictures: Ambulance staff strike in London

Wednesday 21 December 2022 11:20 , Furvah Shah

Ambulance workers in London are on strike this morning amid a dispute with the government over pay and working conditions.

Single dad and EMT says he “earns less than he did working in a call centre"

Wednesday 21 December 2022 11:40 , Furvah Shah

An EMT and single dad from Cardiff, Wales has shared he earns “less now” than he did while “working in a call centre”.

Harry Maskers, 34, an EMT of three years, said: “I’ve made the difficult decision to come into work to strike in civilian clothes. I won’t be responding to critical calls, like many of my colleagues who are doing the same.

“All the calls we respond to on a day-to-day basis are critical anyway, so... every shift feels like a strike because most of the time we’re not responding to calls.”

He said spending time waiting outside of hospital for a free bed is “demoralising” and “the back of an ambulance is no place to toilet someone, to wash someone, to comfort someone in distress”.

“I earn less now than I did when I was 20 and working in a call centre, and believe me I experience a lot more trauma in this job,” he continued.

“I’m a single dad but I’m fortunate, I have a strong support network and family around me. But I know people a lot worse off who are having to use food banks.

“One day you’re saving someone’s life or holding someone’s hands because their son has committed suicide upstairs. The next day you’re going into a food bank because you can’t feed yourself. It’s beyond a joke now and something needs to change.”

“Doing a job not for the money is all well and good but it doesn’t pay your mortgage, and it doesn’t put food on your kid’s table.

Paramedic says patients’ lives have been at risk “longer than strikes were even considered"

Wednesday 21 December 2022 11:50 , Furvah Shah

A paramedic based in Nottinghamshire has said patients’ lives have been at risk “longer than these strikes were even considered” following strike action on Wednesday.

Tom, 33, has been a paramedic with East Midlands Ambulance Service for five years and said he would be striking if he was on duty.

“I’ve attended elderly patients who have been on the floor with broken hips for over 20 hours. They’ve been waiting that long that their limbs have started to become necrotic (dying tissue), resulting in major surgery to remove said limbs,” he told PA news agency.

“In 14 hours I saw and attended one patient of my own and did not have a break... And there were, at one point, 11 ambulances stuck at (the) hospital unable to be freed back onto the road.

“The conditions we work in on a regular basis don’t enable us to do the job we want to do to its full capacity and is putting patients’ lives at risk long before strikes were even considered.... We regularly go 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 hours without a break or even so much as a brew or any warm food, or food at all, due to these delays.

“The ambulance service striking is one that has very little bearing on the grand scheme of things but hopefully has a big influence on highlighting the already failing NHS we so desperately need to treasure and invest in.”

More than 650 people waiting for ambulance in West Midlands

Wednesday 21 December 2022 12:19 , Furvah Shah

More than 650 people are waiting for an ambulance to turn up right now across the West Midlands.

At 6.30pm last night, the number of 999 calls waiting for an ambulance stood at 654 across the West Midlands region, with more than 100 of the service’s 340 ambulances waiting outside hospital for more than 30 minutes, according to Birmingham Live.

West Midlands residents are being given an assurance that the ambulance service will continue to respond to life-threatening incidents on Wednesday, despite strike action.

Scottish nurses and midwives reject government’s pay offer

Wednesday 21 December 2022 12:40 , Furvah Shah

Nurses and midvives in Scotland have rejected the governmen’t latest pay offer.

More than 60 per cent of the Royal College of Nurses and the Royal College of Midwives voted against accepting the latest offer, which they say did little to improve pay.

Jaki Lambert, RCM director for Scotland, said: “Our members have spoken loud and clear – the latest pay offer by the Scottish Government is simply not good enough. It goes nowhere near addressing the rising cost of living and would see many midwives actually worse off in real terms.”

Julie Lamberth, RCN Scotland Board Chair, said: We have forcefully rejected what the Scottish government said is its ‘best and final’ offer.

“Make no mistake - we do not want to go on strike. Years of being undervalued and understaffed have left us feeling we have no alternative because enough is enough. The ball is in Scottish government’s court if strike action is going to be avoided.”

Union leader accused health secretary Steve Barclay of “complete and utter fabrication"

Wednesday 21 December 2022 13:00 , Furvah Shah

Christina McAnea, general secretary of Unison, has accused health secretary Steve Barclay of “complete and utter fabrication” amid strikes.

She told the picket line at Waterloo, London on Wednesday: “I saw the secretary of state yesterday and he wouldn’t talk to us about pay. He made it absolutely clear he wouldn’t talk to us about pay, but other than that (it was a) reasonably amicable meeting.”

She said she explained to him about how they were making the strikes safe across the country and he “acknowledged that”.

“So, when I saw what he had written last night and what he’s been saying today, I’m utterly astonished by it. It is a complete and utter fabrication.

“He knows full well we have been negotiating for the last two or three weeks that where our members are taking strike action to put in place contingency plans and to suggest anything else is just disgraceful - that’s fear mongering, that’s making people even more afraid than they currently are.

“If anyone is responsible for things that happen it is that Government in Westminster who have steadfastly refused to talk to us about anything related to pay.”

Unions angered as health secretary says they have “chosen to inflict harm"

Wednesday 21 December 2022 13:05 , Furvah Shah

Unions have expressed anger over comments about ambulance strikes by health secretary Steve Barclay.

He said that unions had made a “conscious choice to inflict harm” on patients in comments made to The Daily Telegraph.

Rachel Harrison, national secretary at GMB union, said: “Ambulance workers are seething at such a crude, insulting attempt to divert attention from the government’s continued chaos in the NHS.

“The public know it’s not ambulance workers who have presided over a decade of failure. Already today paramedics and ambulance workers have left picket lines to attend to emergency calls.

“They’ll always put the public first. It’s time for the government to follow their example.”

In pictures: Ambulance workers strike across England

Wednesday 21 December 2022 13:15 , Furvah Shah

Thousands of ambulance staff are striking across England and Wales today over a dispute with the government about pay and working conditions.

Staff in London, Coventry, Liverpool and elsewhere are only responding to emergency calls, with the public advised to avoid risks and “use common sense” during strikes.

Union boss says strikes could continue in new year with more staff

Wednesday 21 December 2022 13:40 , Furvah Shah

Christina McAnea, Unison union’s general secretary, said their members could continue strike action in the new year if the government does not negotiate.

She told PA news agency: “I sincerely hope that today’s action - that we all wanted to avoid - will be enough to say to the government, roll it back and stop putting out all this aggressive, misleading information about the strikes and the ambulance workers, and sit down to talk to us in a rational way.

“If that doesn’t happen, then we will be looking at our tactics going forward and I think we will have no alternative but to escalate the action and take further action in the new year.”

She added that while staff will still respond to emergency calls, many more - such as 999 call handlers and triaging workers - could also join future strikes.

“We would not want to bring them out to strike but we will be talking to them about whether they want to,” she said. “This would not be my decision. This will be members that provide the services - it will be their decision about whether they want to escalate it.”

What are striking ambulance staff demanding?

Wednesday 21 December 2022 14:00 , Furvah Shah

Thousands of NHS ambulance staff members are walking out in England and Wales in planned strike action over pay and working conditions.

The strike by around 25,000 members of the GMB, Unite and Unison unions is set to cause delays and disturbance, with the public warned to only call 999 in case of an emergency.

Staff are calling for better pay, working conditions and staffing.

Joe Sommerlad has more.

What are striking ambulance staff demanding and what is the government offering?

Ambulance strikes: What level of service is available in your area today?

Wednesday 21 December 2022 14:20 , Furvah Shah

Thousands of NHS ambulance staff members are walking out in England and Wales in planned strike action over pay and working conditions.

The strike by around 25,000 members of the GMB, Unite and Unison unions is set to cause delays and disturbance, with the public warned to only call 999 in case of an emergency.

Joe Sommerlad has more on how Wednesday’s demonstrations will impact the emergency services around the country region by region.

Ambulance strikes: What level of service is available in your area today?

“We’ve just had enough,” say ambulance staff

Wednesday 21 December 2022 14:40 , Furvah Shah

Ambulance staff say they have “just had enough” of poor pay and working conditions as they continue planned strike action.

Eddie Brand, 57, an emergency medical technician and Unison’s branch secretary at the London Ambulance Service (LAS), has been working in the NHS for 36 years.

Speaking from the picket line outside LAS’s headquarters in Waterloo, London, he told the PA news agency: “We’ve just had enough.”

“We’ve had enough of having 12 years of below-inflation pay increases, we’ve had enough of workloads, we’ve had enough of being treated unfairly.

“There’s lots of different things going on within the ambulance service not caused by the service but caused by government decisions that have been made.”

Striking ambulance workers forced to leave picket line to attend emergencies

Wednesday 21 December 2022 14:55 , Furvah Shah

Striking ambulance staff have been forced to leave picket lines to attend emergency calls, union official have said.

Before the strikes began, union officials said they would continue responding to all Category 1 calls - the most life-threatening requests, such as cardiac arrest.

Nathan Holman, the GMB Union’s South West and Wales representative, said all its striking members had to be called away from the picket line in Cardiff to attend emergency calls.

Matt Mathers has more.

Striking ambulance workers leave picket line to attend emergencies

Meet the picket line paramedics who warn ambulance service is at ‘breaking point’

Wednesday 21 December 2022 15:10 , Furvah Shah

Striking ambulances workers have warned the service is at “breaking point”, as thousands of workers walk out across the country.

In Coventry, paramedics and union leaders accused the government of “criminal negligence”, saying their action was the consequence of the Tories “hollowing out” the NHS.

Jenny Withall, a paramedic since 2016, joined colleagues for two hours outside Coventry Ambulance Headquarters before returning to work when a 999 call came through.

“I am striking to try and sort the NHS out and help people out there struggling that we are just not getting too because of the working conditions,” the 32 year-old said.

Emily Atkinson has more.

Meet the picket line paramedics who warn ambulance service is at ‘breaking point’

999 calls fall during ambulance strike

Wednesday 21 December 2022 15:25 , Furvah Shah

The number of 999 calls being made has dropped amid ambulance strikes across England and Wales.

The NHS has urged people to only contact emergency services in life-threatening situations, such as cardiac arrest or severe allergic reactions.

Hours into the strikes, Health Service Journal reported a fall in the volume of 999 calls across the country.

In the West Midlands Ambulance, there has been a 70 per cent drop in its calls causing worries that people in need are not seeking help.

Dr Adrian Boyle, the president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, told The Telegraph: “We have anxieties about people not seeking help when they should. We saw this in lockdown. We are particularly concerned about a rebound effect which means things could be much worse in the days to come.”

Brits urged not to get drunk and avoid ‘risky activity’ during ambulance strike

Wednesday 21 December 2022 15:35 , Furvah Shah

A top health official has urged the public not to get drunk as ambulance workers stage strike action on Wednesday.

NHS medical director, Professor Stephen Powis, warned people should “drink responsibly” and take “sensible steps” to keep themselves out of A&Es.

He said: “People can help by taking sensible steps to keep themselves and others safe during this period and not ending up in A&E, whether that is drinking responsibly or checking up on a family member or neighbour who may be particularly vulnerable to make sure they are OK.”

Adam Forrest has more.

Britons urged not to get drunk and avoid ‘risky activity’ during ambulance strike

Veteran nurse and life-long Conversative voter says party has “lost his trust”

Wednesday 21 December 2022 15:50 , Furvah Shah

A veteran nurse and life-long Conservative voter has said the party has lost his vote over their treatement and underfunding of the NHS.

Clint, 53, a nurse from East Yorkshire added that comments made by health secretary Steve Barclay, in which he said unions are making a “conscious choice to inflict harm” on patients, made him feel “worthless”.

“What the Health Secretary has said to me today is that you’re not worth anything,” he told PA.

“He was saying that we will not come to the table and negotiate. My colleagues are going to food banks. That is a terrible thing in a country that is the fifth biggest economy in the world.

“I voted Tory consistently all my life but now they’re just letting us down.”

While the nurse will not himself be striking as he does not want to leave his patients, he “understands colleagues who do go on strike, saying the NHS is now in the worst state he has seen since he joined the profession 30 years ago.”

Hundreds of ambulance staff leave picket lines to attend call-outs

Wednesday 21 December 2022 16:00 , Furvah Shah

Hundreds of ambulance staff left their picket lines to attend call-outs.

A spokesperson for GMB union said its members had left strikes lines to answer emergency calls-outs, as part of agreed emergency exemptions to strike action.

A Unison spokesperson said many of their members had also left picket lines as part of locally-agreed emergency cover, saying the point of strikes was not to “leave people in harm”.

Rachel Harrison, national secretary at the GMB, said “paramedics and ambulance workers have left picket lines to attend to emergency calls. They’ll always put the public first. It’s time for the government to follow their example.”

In pictures: Ambulance staff in London strike

Wednesday 21 December 2022 16:15 , Furvah Shah

Ambulance staff in London were on strike today amid a dispute over pay, staffing and working conditions.

Paramedics, ambulance technicians and call handlers walked out in a strike co-ordinated by the GMB, Unison and Unite unions that will affect non-life threatening calls.

They were joined at the picket line by Unison general secretary, Christina McAnea, in Waterloo, central London.

Paramedics leave strike to attend to injured motorcyclist

Wednesday 21 December 2022 16:30 , Furvah Shah

A group of paramedics in Weymouth, Dorset left their picket line to attend to an injured motorcyclist.

While showing his appreciation for striking staff by honking his horn, the cyclist lost control and flew of his bike to which six paramedics ran to assist.

Laurence Herdman, an eyewitness, said: “I had been with the crews all morning talking to them about why they were doing it and what they hoped would happen.

“As motorists were driving past lots of them would use their horns or cheer out the window to show their support for the strike.

“A motorcyclist came round the corner and as he pressed his horn he lost control of the bike and flipped off,” she continued.

“Instantly six paramedics were rushing over to make sure that he was okay, there was no hesitation.

“Thankfully he was alright and after they had checked him over he drove off.”

Two-week-old baby struggling to breath waits five hours for ambulance

Wednesday 21 December 2022 16:50 , Eleanor Sly

A two-week-old baby boy struggled to breathe during a five-hour wait for an ambulance, amid ongoing NHS strikes across England and Wales.

The baby’s grandmother described how the newborn waited hours for treatmen after her son and his partner called 111 at 6pm on Tuesday and were told their newborn, struggling with breathing and coughing, needed an ambulance.

The parents of the baby, who remains in A&E waiting on a bed, were forced to rush him to the hospital themselves at 11pm but say would have brought him over sooner had they known the wait was going to be so long.

The baby’s grandmother, former GP receptionist Deb Robinson, 53, said “[They are] still in A&E as there are nine other minors waiting for a bed. He is on oxygen, he has bronchiolitis,” Ms Robinson, from Derby, told the PA news agency on Wednesday afternoon.

“A tiny baby needing oxygen being delayed by a few hours.

“I do sympathise, I do, I know not all wanted to strike - but lives are at risk.

“It’s a good job his breathing didn’t worsen or his cough get worse... I don’t have the answers [but] if everyone cares as much for patients as they say they do I can’t understand why they physically strike and remove themselves from their positions.”

Ambulance workers are ‘working hard to ensure those facing life-threatening emergencies receive the care they need’, says mayor of London

Wednesday 21 December 2022 17:10 , Eleanor Sly

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has tweeted that London ambulance workers are “very busy” today, but are “working hard to ensure those facing life-threatening emergencies receive the care they need.”

He showed his support for “chronically underpaid” public sector workers striking, pointing out that the cost of living crisis is causing “immense challenges”.

Mr Khan added that he will keep pressuring the government to reach an agreement with unions to prevent further disruption.

He wrote that he is in close contact with NHS London and other partners to keep an eye on the impact of today’s industrial action.

Woman, 62, who fell in freezing car park helped by strangers during four-hour wait for ambulance

Wednesday 21 December 2022 17:30 , Eleanor Sly

A 62-year-old woman who dislocated her hip in a car park in Grantham was helped by strangers as she waited almost four hours for an ambulance in sub-zero temperatures.

Julie Jackson-Corney, of Leadenham, Lincolnshire, fell to the ground next to her car after she felt her hip come out of its socket, leaving her unable to move from the freezing tarmac until paramedics arrived

Several strangers noticed Ms Jackson-Corney was in need of aid and rushed to her side to provide blankets, duvets, a hot water bottle, and a heater to keep her warm. One of her rescuers called for an ambulance but was warned there would be a wait of up to 15 hours since she was not a priority.

Emily Atkinson reports:

Woman, 62, who fell in car park helped by strangers while waiting for ambulance

Worries over A&E ‘rebound’ in next few days

Wednesday 21 December 2022 17:50 , Eleanor Sly

The president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Adrian Boyle, has said that he’s concerned people aren’t seeking the care they need during today’s ambulance strike - and he is concerned about a “rebound effect” in the coming days.

The demand for ambulances appears to have dropped in some parts of England today, and the public are being advised to only call 999 if they think that life is in danger or if they have a serious injury.

“We have anxieties about people not seeking help when they should,” Mr Boyle told The Telegraph. “We are particularly concerned about a rebound effect which means things could be much worse in the days to come.”

Patient waited four and a half days for emergency department treatment

Wednesday 21 December 2022 18:15 , Eleanor Sly

A patient waited four and a half days for treatment at an emergency department in a Northern Ireland hospital, health chiefs have said.

It was also revealed that some non-urgent callers to the ambulance service are waiting up to 24 hours for a response.

Setting out the scale of the crisis facing the health service in Northern Ireland, chief medical officer Sir Michael McBride said he had serious concerns about the ability of the health service to get through the winter.

Read more here:

Patient waited four and a half days for emergency department treatment

Conservatives have lost my vote over treatment of NHS, says nurse

Wednesday 21 December 2022 18:44 , Eleanor Sly

It’s not just ambulance staff who have been on strike over pay and working conditions. Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have also taken to the picket lines in recent days.

Clint is a nurse from East Yorkshire, says he will not walk out during the strikes as he doesn’t want to leave his patients.

He told the PA news agency he understands colleagues who do decide to strike and added that being a life-long Conservative voter, he will no longer be voting for governing party over its treatment of the NHS.

“I voted Tory consistently all my life but now they’re just letting us down,” he said.

Over 11,000 NHS workers on strike on Tuesday

Wednesday 21 December 2022 19:05 , Eleanor Sly

At least 11,509 NHS workers across England were absent from work as a result of industrial action by the Royal College of Nursing on Tuesday.

NHS England said 2,376 employees were absent in the South West region, 2,302 in the Midlands, 1,854 in the North East and Yorkshire, and 1,797 in the North West.

In London, 1,619 workers missing from shifts, 802 in the East of England, and 759 in the South East, according to the figures.

NHS England’s data comes from 47 trusts involved in strikes across the country, with three trusts yet to submit their figures.

It said it will be releasing figures on Thursday for the impact on staffing from the ambulance strike.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service ‘coping’ amid strikes

Wednesday 21 December 2022 19:28 , Eleanor Sly

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has said it is “coping” amid the industrial walkout, adding that patients have had to “wait longer for an ambulance” but the day has been less busy than expected.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “Our priority remains ensuring that patient and staff safety is maintained, and our contingency plans are helping us to manage strike action, on top of prolonged operational pressures.

“We’re doing our best to respond to patients most in need of emergency care today. With less resources, some patients have had to wait longer for an ambulance, and some have been advised and supported to use alternative transport to get to their nearest emergency department.

“It has been a relatively busy day so far, but less than forecast for a Wednesday in late December. We appreciate members of the public taking heed of our messages to use our services wisely.

“As at 4pm on Wednesday we are coping, but there are several hours of strike action to go and we continue to monitor the situation closely.”

There’s no point telling Brits not to get ‘blind drunk’ during an ambulance strike – we can’t help ourselves

Wednesday 21 December 2022 20:00 , Eleanor Sly

As ambulance strikes continue, Steve Barclay, the “low-energy health secretary”, has urged the public to “use their common sense” – and Professor Sir Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, has warned people not to get “blind drunk”.

There’s something deeply depressing about this. Why do we – the British public – need to be told not to imbibe so much alcohol that we need emergency medical attention? Can you imagine the French or Germans having to be told the same thing?

No, you can’t because they don’t drink like we do in this country. We drink like we don’t want to live anymore – and can you blame us, just look at the state of things. We’re a nation of binge drinkers, boozing to celebrate, to commiserate, when we’re bored, tired, anxious, stressed or elated. And we rarely do it in moderation.

Harriet Williamson writes:

Opinion: There’s no point telling Brits not to get ‘blind drunk’ during strikes

What have we learnt from the nurses strikes? | You Ask The Questions

Wednesday 21 December 2022 20:25 , Eleanor Sly

Across the United Kingdom, strike action is being seen across the rail network, in hospitals, ambulance services, postal workers and many other sectors as the cost of living crisis and years of austerity have led to wages not keeping pace with inflation. In this episode, Rob Williams, Union Organiser for the National Shop Stewards Network, answers your questions on what the strike action is trying to achieve and what has led people to take strike action.

Watch here

What have we learnt from the nurses strikes? | You Ask The Questions

This is what happened when I called an ambulance for my six-year-old

Wednesday 21 December 2022 20:55 , Eleanor Sly

Ironically enough, as I pitched the idea for this article to my colleagues at The Independent during news conference, my phone rang.

The name of my children’s school popped up – which, as any parent or carer will attest, prompts a uniquely heartstopping reaction (as an aside: it is the only contact I have set to “emergency bypass”, meaning that it will ring even if my iPhone is on silent mode. That’s how worrying an unplanned call from school can be).

I answered, already panicking, but trying not to show it. And I wasn’t mad to: as it turned out – unlikely as it sounds – something had fallen on my son’s head at breakfast club. “He’s a bit shaken up, but he’s OK,” they reassured me. “But he’ll have a bruise.” My next thought? Thank god they didn’t have to call an ambulance.

Victoria Richards writes:

Opinion: This is what happened when I called an ambulance for my six-year-old

Unite’s general secretary has tweeted about its industrial action.

Wednesday 21 December 2022 21:24 , Eleanor Sly

Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, has this message supporting NHS workers taking industrial action.

Ms Graham expressed her “solidarity” with the striking workers.

She tweeted:

The Tories are trying, but there is no rage to be found for strikers

Wednesday 21 December 2022 22:26 , Eleanor Sly

The same old dance is happening but the tune has changed. Ambulance and hospital staff are striking, the usual right-wing newspapers and talking heads are seizing an opportunity to attack the Labour Party and the trade unions – but it just isn’t working.

The Daily Mail rants at the unions on its front page, attempting to stoke up fury among the public against the people who drive their ambulances, but there is no fury to be found.

There was precious little fury when they tried it with the train drivers either.

Writes Tom Peck:

The Tories are trying, but there is no rage to be found for strikers | Tom Peck

Zelensky address – live: Biden praises ‘steel backbone’ of Ukrainians as Zelensky thanks US for support

Wednesday 21 December 2022 23:14 , Eleanor Sly

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington DC meeting with President Joe Biden ahead of an in-person address to Congress.

At the White House he was greeted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The two leaders engaged in a two-hour bilateral meeting.

Afterwards, at a joint press conference, both leaders spoke about the importance of the US’s newly announced commitment to send an additional $2bn in security assistance to Ukraine, including the provision of the Patriot missile defence system.

Follow all the latest updates here:

Biden praises ‘steel backbone’ of Ukrainians as Zelensky thanks US for support – live

Wednesday 21 December 2022 23:25 , Eleanor Sly

That’s all for this evening, but we’ll be back tomorrow with all the latest news on UK strike action.