'TIS NOT THE SEASON
‘Drink responsibly’ over Xmas, warns NHS – as nurses strike & ambulances set to walkout tomorrow
BRITS have today been warned to avoid getting drunk at Christmas parties on the eve of ambulance strikes.
The NHS has urged festive boozers to take 'sensible measures' as a minister told people to avoid 'risky behaviour' to keep themselves and others safe.
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Health minister Will Quince suggested avoiding contact sports, unnecessary car journeys and running in icy weather.
Strike action across ambulance services is planned across the North East, North West, London, Yorkshire and the South West - with several trusts across the rest of the country also taking to the picket line tomorrow.
It comes as thousands of nurses have also walked today in a row over pay.
Union leaders are threatening six months of action.
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NHS Medical Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “There is no doubt that the NHS is facing extreme pressure and industrial action will add to the already record demand we are seeing on urgent and emergency care, and so it is really important that the public play their part by using services wisely.
"But people can also 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 of neighbour who may be particularly vulnerable to make sure they are ok."
When ambulance strike action commences tomorrow, some patients will be told to get themselves to A&E or book a taxi as a wave of strikes pummels the NHS.
In parts of the UK, even people who have a heart attack or stroke at home will not be able to get an ambulance during the walkout by blue light workers tomorrow.
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Ministers have also warned Brits to 'not get up to anything risky' during the strike.
Eight in ten ambulances will be delayed or won’t turn up in the strike, NHS bosses warn.
And in the North West, anybody who needs to get from a GP surgery, critical care centre or care home to A&E is being told to call a taxi or get a lift.
Mr Quince this morning said that individual NHS trusts are putting in place contingency plans ahead of ambulance strikes on Wednesday.
However, he added that he was concerned about the planned strike action.
He said: "Where people are planning any risky activity, I would strongly encourage them not to do so."
Mr Quince urged Brits to still call 999 if they have chest pains, but said if it's not life threatening then people should be calling NHS 111.
Today marks the second day of nurses strikes, with Royal College of Nursing's general secretary Pat Cullen visiting picket lines in the north of England.
She told strikers this morning: “I don’t think we will ever get used to doing this but it is the right thing to do.”
However, she stressed that strikes had not been coordinated with other unions adding that nurses were sorry that patient care had today been disrupted.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay met with unions this afternoon to continue crisis talks.
He was expected to warn emergency care must stay in place during industrial action.
A government source said he would “send a pretty clear warning” to militant bosses that patient care is paramount.
It comes during what promises to be a week of strike chaos for the health service.
Operations and cancer care will again be hit. Strike leaders warned action could “escalate” in the new year unless ministers budge on pay.
Unions have only guaranteed responses for “life-or-limb” Category One calls in the first ambulance strike in decades.
They make up around 15 per cent of incidents — meaning the remaining 85 per cent are set to be hit by delays.
Plans for emergency cover during pay-row strikes were hashed out by local union representatives and regional NHS bosses.
MATERNITY CARE
Maternity care will also take a hit, with teams warning that homebirths could be impacted by the strikes tomorrow.
The team at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital or West Middlesex University hospital said that there is no guarantee that an ambulance or paramedic will be able to come to homes in the event of a home birth complication.
Staff today stated that the days around the strike date may also be impacted, as ambulances may take longer to arrive at homes than usual.
They added: "Your safety and the safety of your baby are our top priority. In view of this, we strongly recommend that if you go into labour on the day of the strike (Weds) then you give birth at the maternity service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital or West Middlesex University Hospital.
"We recognise that this is upsetting and not the birth you planned," they added.
However, they also stated that the homebirth midwives who have been caring for mum and baby will provide care at maternity services, so women will still know their midwife for the birth.
'Severe impact'
The Health Secretary has today summoned a meeting of Unison, GMB and Unite on the eve of industrial action to stress that urgent care must not be compromised.
Mr Barclay said Brits should still call 999 in an emergency but braced them for a “severe impact”.
A No10 spokesman said: “It’s only fair that patients are given clarity about what care patients will get on strike days.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I’m really disappointed to see that the unions are calling these strikes, particularly at Christmas when it has such an impact on people’s day-to-day lives.
“I would urge them to keep considering whether these strikes are really necessary and do everything they can to alleviate the impact it’s going to have on people.”
Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern, said: “If a relative is really in trouble or you’re in that position yourself then it’s a very serious matter if there are no ambulances.
“I’m in favour of people getting the money they need but you’ve got to have emergency services ready or people could die. It isn’t worth that.”
Crews at two services in the North of England would only guarantee to take people to A&E during the strike if they are dying.
One of them, the North East Ambulance Service, even declared a “critical incident” yesterday because of “unprecedented pressure”.
The service said in the afternoon more than 200 patients were waiting for an ambulance but there were severe delays.
Chief operating officer Stephen Segasby said: “Declaring a critical incident means we can focus our resources on patients most in need.”
The North East service said striking staff will only attend “Category One calls and Category Two calls in a public place”, The Times reported.
I’m in favour of people getting the money they need but you’ve got to have emergency services ready or people could die. It isn’t worth that.
Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern
It means patients who have a heart attack or stroke at home may not get an ambulance. Mr Segasby insisted: “Ambulances will still be able to respond during the strike, but this will only be where there is an immediate risk to life.”
Meanwhile, North West Ambulance Service said it would not collect patients from a GP surgery, care home or walk-in centre unless their heart or breathing stops.
Otherwise they will have to rely on “self-conveyance or taxi conveyance”.
In November, there were an average of 18,917 ambulance callouts per day in England, with 2,722 Category One calls — 14 per cent.
It means more than 16,000 lower priority incidents are at risk of delay or not getting an ambulance.
Ben Holdaway, director of operations at East Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “Our responses to our patients will be much slower on the day.”
More than 25,000 ambulance staff from the Unison, Unite and GMB unions could walk out.
They voted to strike at all NHS ambulance trusts in England and Wales except East Anglia and the Isle of Wight.
A second day of action is set for December 28.
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Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Emergency cover plans will be in place. These are drawn up by each ambulance employer, working with the unions.”
Jason Killens, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, warned: “There will be patients waiting much longer than we would like — and many will probably not receive a response at all.”
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