February 3, 2023 3.00 pm This story is over 23 months old

Ambulance strikes: Make your own way to hospital, EMAS says

Strikes will impact ambulance services next week

By Local Democracy Reporter

Ahead of more strike action days next week, the East Midlands Ambulance Service urged people to “use services wisely and make their own way to a treatment centre or hospital if safe to do so.”

Action will take place on Monday, February 6 across the GMB Union, Unite and RCN, as well as on February 7 from the RCN, Monday, February 20 for GMB and Unite, plus two further days in March.

The strikes come from a dispute over pay, conditions, pensions, and allocation of staff within the NHS. They will affect East Midlands Ambulance Service, which operates around the Lincolnshire area.

Picket lines have already been held in Lincoln by GMB Union members in recent weeks, with staff telling The Lincolnite that all they want to do is help people, and current circumstances make that close to impossible.

Striking ambulance staff are calling for the government to enter serious negotiations over working conditions, as the NHS continues to feel the squeeze. | Photo: Ellis Karran for The Lincolnite

The GMB Union previously accused “the cold, dead hands of 10 and 11 Downing Street” on the delays caused by strikes, stating that if the government entered serious negotiations with the unions this matter may have been resolved by now.

East Midlands Ambulance Service has said it will “work closely” with trade union workers during strike action, and do all they can to minimise disruption.

The service director has, however, asked the public to make their own way to medical appointments or hospital if it is safe to do so, given the impact on staffing that strikes will have.

Ben Holdaway, Director of Operations at EMAS said: “Previous industrial action days at EMAS have been immensely challenging, and we expect the same again on Monday and Tuesday.

“We continue to work closely with trade union colleagues, and NHS and blue-light service providers across the region to do all we can to minimise the impact on patient safety.

“However, we anticipate that during action there will be fewer ambulances available and therefore our response to our patients will, inevitably, be much slower on the day.

“As we head towards the weekend, the NHS remains open and people are asked not to store up their health conditions or soldier on if they become unwell or injured – seek early advice from your local pharmacist, NHS111 Online, via your GP or Urgent Treatment Centre; and if you have a long-term condition, ensure you continue to take your routine medication as advised by your GP.

“During industrial action we will continue to carefully assess and prioritise an ambulance response for those who need it most.

“It is important that the public use services wisely and make their own way to a treatment centre or hospital if safe to do so; this allows us to send our ambulances with life-saving equipment and clinicians on board to people who really need them.”


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