NHS and ambulance services warn of strike disruption

Health workers including ambulance staff, midwives, porters and nurses will walk out for four hours on Monday when unions Unison, Unite and the GMB take strike action.

It comes after a recommendation for a one per cent pay rise for NHS staff was rejected by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt earlier this year.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has warned its response times will be slower than usual during the strikes but it said that its emergency service will still be running.

Any 999 calls from patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses or injuries will be the highest priority.

Other NHS services may be affected when the strike takes place between 7am and 11am.

The ambulance service human resource and operations director, Ian Brandwood, said: “Although our focus is on ensuring attendance at the most serious and life-threatening 999 calls, we will have a reduced workforce and there is likely to be some disruption to the emergency service and our response could be extended.”

The Trust has cancelled journeys with its non-emergency Patient Transport Service for those due to attend routine appointments at hospital clinics on Monday.

But it said the service will still be running for patients with urgent medical needs such as essential renal and oncology treatments.

Patients who are able to make their own way to appointments should check with the hospital or clinic first to ensure their appointment is still going ahead.

The strike will be followed by a ban on overtime working hours in the ambulance service from Tuesday until Friday October 17, but other NHS staff will be at work as normal.