Region braced for biggest ambulance strike action in 30 years as hospitals issue advice

The GMB union said almost 3,000 ambulance workers in the Midlands will go on strike on Wednesday and December 28 in a row over pay.

The action includes West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS), where paramedics, emergency care assistants and call handlers will walk out for 24 hours on both days.

It is likely to mean people who require 'non-emergency' assistance not being responded to, although WMAS yesterday declined to comment on the level of service it would be able to offer on the strike days and any plans that it may be putting in place in order to minimise disruption.

It comes as more than 1,700 additional hours were spent in ambulances due to handover delays at hospitals in the Black Country and Staffordshire in the week up to December 11, according to data from NHS England.

Meanwhile, hospital bosses in the region have urged patients to continue to attend appointments as planned during the strikes and not to 'put off' seeking urgent or emergency care.

A joint statement from the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The NHS is working hard to keep patients safe during strikes, while delivering the best care possible, and patients should continue to attend appointments as planned unless contacted to reschedule.

"Nobody should put off seeking urgent or emergency care during the strikes, with key services continuing to operate.”

Health chiefs have urged hospitals to free up a maximum number of beds by safely discharging patients in advance of industrial action by ambulance crews.

Sir David Sloman, NHS England’s chief operating officer, warned of “extensive disruption” during what would be “a very challenging period”.

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