Ambulance staff declare 10 days of industrial action

UNIONS have announced 10 more ambulance strikes, on top of walkouts planned for Monday.

It comes as official figures show more than 57,000 operations and appointments cancelled in England as a result of nurses’ walkouts.

The new dates from Unite union will see them take part in a mass strike on Feb 6, when the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and members of GMB union will also take to picket lines.

Unite’s ambulance workers are already set to walk out next Monday, along with members of Unison as the pay row with the Government shows no sign of reaching a resolution.

Miriam Deakin, NHS Providers’ director of policy, said: “Ten more days of strikes by Unite ambulance staff will make what is already an incredibly difficult situation for NHS patients and staff even harder. As one of these dates, February 6, coincides with strikes by nurses and GMB ambulance workers next month, trust leaders are facing what for many may be the most challenging day of their careers.”

The walkouts by nurses this week saw 27,826 operations and appointments cancelled, on top of the 29,576 axed in December during the first two days of strikes. The RCN is now planning further industrial action for Feb 6 and Feb 7.

Talks between the Government and trade unions on NHS workers’ pay earlier this month failed to reach an agreement or see off further industrial action.

Downing Street said the Government was “very much open” for further talks.

“We want to continue to facilitate those negotiations to try and get to a point where we can end this industrial action,” the PM’S spokesman said.

Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, said: “Rather than act to protect the NHS and negotiate an end to the dispute, the Government has disgracefully chosen to demonise ambulance workers. Ministers are deliberately misleading the public about the life and limb cover and who is to blame for excessive deaths.”

♦ Hundreds of junior doctors in England have voted to go on strike. Yesterday the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association said 97.48 per cent of members had voted in favour following a 74.76 per cent turnout.