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Ambulance service reminds public to use service wisely during industrial action

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) is urging the public to only dial 999 for an ambulance during strike days for life-threatening conditions or injury.

Two unions have voted to take part in industrial action on 11 January in a national dispute with the Government over the 2022/23 pay award:

  • GMB
    • 00.01h to 23.59h (24 hours) – all members
  • Unison
    • 07:00h – 19:00h (12 hours) - patient transport and support services
    • 12:00h – 23:59h (12 hours) – control room and emergency care

Chief operating officer at NEAS, Stephen Segasby said: “The first strike was an incredibly challenging day for our service.  We had a significant number of our teams unavailable due to the industrial action. 

“This time the unions are calling out more of our staff so we expect there to be greater disruption to our services.

“The public really supported us with fewer 999 calls last time, which helped us to prioritise our resources to those most in need. But with fewer people available to respond, we understandably want to warn and inform people once again on how best to use our service and what to expect from us during the period of action.”

He added: “Our partners across the NHS also gave us great support to keep our crews on the road last time. However, we know what pressure other parts of the health system are currently experiencing so we cannot rely on that alone.”

NEAS will have in place contingencies for the national strikes by healthcare unions and has agreed some exemptions to allow the service to respond to high acuity life-threatening cases during the strike. However, the ambulance service will not be able to respond to all calls of a serious nature and there will be significant delays for patients who have a less serious illness or injury.

Stephen added: “We will focus our resources on those who are most in need, but there will be fewer ambulances responding during the strike and this will only be where there is an immediate risk to life.

“This means that less serious calls will not receive a response for the duration of the strike action and some patients will be asked to make their own way to hospital, where it is safe for them to do so.

“We ask that the public continue to consider which is the best service for their needs and only call 999 in a life or limb threatening emergency.

“Patients waiting for an ambulance should only call back if your symptoms worsen so that our health advisors are available to take new emergency calls; or to call back to cancel an ambulance if alternative transport has been arranged.

“In anticipation of this disruption, we once again thank everyone involved and supporting us to help keep patients safe.”

During the period of industrial action, GP surgeries, pharmacies and urgent treatment centres will still be open and www.111.nhs.uk will be available.

For further guidance on the industrial action, visit the NHS England website.

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Notes to editors

Discussions with healthcare unions are ongoing, but exemptions agreed to date between NEAS and the unions are that emergency care staff will be exempt from the strike by the union to respond to category 1 life-threatening calls and any other call triaged by a clinician to need a response to prevent risk to life or limb. We are working with the unions to ensure safe levels of staffing in our control rooms. Patient transport staff will be exempted from the strike by the union to only convey patients to appointments for life-saving treatment, such as dialysis and chemotherapy.

This means we will be prioritising patients in the most critical conditions as well as those patients who need planned transport for essential clinics such as dialysis, cardiology and oncology. Other planned journeys to appointments have been cancelled where there is not an essential need agreed with the unions and patients have been asked to make alternative travel arrangements, or appointments rearranged.

Both unions have agreed that their members will respond in the event of a major incident being declared.

NEAS will be boosting resources to assist with:

  • Emergency care – increasing the number of private and voluntary ambulance services available on strike days.
  • Patient transport - the transportation of low acuity patients and our discharge service using military personnel, volunteer ambulance car service drivers and taxis.
  • Non-clinical support roles - a redeployment of some corporate service staff into non-clinical supporting roles.

 

For interview requests, please contact the press office on 07559 918672 or publicrelations@neas.nhs.uk