Ambulance strike Sheffield: 'Severe disruption' warning as thousands of workers walk out for third time

Ambulances will respond ‘where there is an immediate risk to life’ bosses have warned ahead of a third strike.
By David Walsh
Published 22nd Jan 2023, 09:39 BST
Updated 22nd Jan 2023, 09:39 BST
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And remaining services will be ‘severely disrupted, with the likelihood of delays in emergency responses’. Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust is again urging the public to ‘use the service wisely’ and only dial 999 for an ambulance where a patient has a life-threatening or very serious condition.

The warning comes as thousands of workers prepare to walk out on Monday, January 23 in an increasingly bitter dispute over pay. The Government has offered four per cent amid soaring inflation, which stands at 11 per cent.

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It comes as ambulance handover times in England have reached record levels, with one in four waiting more than an hour to discharge patients to A&E.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea joins ambulance workers on the picket line outside Longley Ambulance Station in Sheffield, on January 11. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA WireUNISON general secretary Christina McAnea joins ambulance workers on the picket line outside Longley Ambulance Station in Sheffield, on January 11. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea joins ambulance workers on the picket line outside Longley Ambulance Station in Sheffield, on January 11. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Nick Smith, executive director of operations at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “During the previous two strike days, the public responded as we’d asked them to and used our emergency service appropriately for very serious and life-threatening incidents. This was very helpful and much appreciated.

“With continued operational pressures and further industrial action across all of our services, we will have less resources available to respond to patients on Monday, 23 January. “Services will be severely disrupted, with the likelihood of delays in emergency responses and telephone calls to 999 and NHS 111 being answered.

“So, once again, we are urging the public to use all of our services wisely, but particularly our emergency ambulance service. We will be here for those who really need us, but you should only call 999 when someone is in a life-threatening or very serious condition as we prioritise our responses.”

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Less serious calls may not receive a response or a significantly delayed response and some patients might be asked to make their own way to hospital, he added.

Ambulance workers on the picket line outside Longley Ambulance Station in Sheffield, Wednesday January 11 Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA WireAmbulance workers on the picket line outside Longley Ambulance Station in Sheffield, Wednesday January 11 Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire
Ambulance workers on the picket line outside Longley Ambulance Station in Sheffield, Wednesday January 11 Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

And people were urged to use alternative healthcare providers including NHS 111 Online (111.nhs.uk), their GP or a pharmacist.

On January 11, Unison and GMB members from at least three of Sheffield’s ambulance stations – Middlewood, Batemoor, and Longley – did not respond to 999 call-outs, with only a skeleton crew on duty to react to life-threatening incidents. They were among 25,000 NHS workers who downed tools.