London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Ambulance strike: Fresh day of action as Unite members walk out

Ambulance strike: Fresh day of action as Unite members walk out

More than 1,000 ambulance staff are striking across Wales on Thursday in a dispute over pay and conditions.

It is the first day of action by the Unite union and follows two days of GMB walk-outs.

Unite want a cost of living salary rise and said a Welsh government offer of a one-off payment would not stop strike action.

Ministers said they understood workers' frustrations and called on people to minimise pressure on the NHS.

Unite, which represents about a quarter of Wales' ambulance workers, said it will provide so-called "life and limb" emergency care but wants talks to move faster.

General secretary Sharon Graham said NHS staffing problems were making her members' jobs increasingly difficult.

She said: "They see first-hand how our NHS is collapsing. A decent consolidated pay increase is the only way to improve NHS recruitment and relieve the crippling pressure on our ambulance services.

"The recent proposal from the Welsh government of a one-off payment simply does not cut it."

General secretary Sharon Graham said NHS staffing problems were making her members' jobs difficult

She insisted the only way to prevent further strikes was for the Welsh government to offer a cost of living salary increase.

Unite has a second 24-hour strike planned for Monday, 23 January.

Ambulance crews, control-room staff and others in Wales will picket on Thursday, but next week colleagues in England will also take action.

Pressure is increasing on the Welsh and UK governments, with NHS unions planning to take further action next month.

The GMB has unveiled fresh strikes in February and March.

Health minister Eluned Morgan previously said the Welsh government could only afford a one-off payment


The first, on 6 February, will coincide with a walkout by thousands of nurses from the Royal College of Nursing.

Unite Wales' Richard Munn said stress on members was rising every day.

He said: "Devaluing pay every year while ambulance service staff are faced with more and more pressure has resulted in the current strike action."

He urged the Welsh and UK governments to take the matter seriously.

"We accept that the Welsh government has a desire to resolve this dispute but their current proposals are clearly not enough," he added.

Russell George said the Welsh government needed to stop blaming UK ministers


The Welsh government insisted it understood the anger of public sector workers.

"We will continue to work with the NHS, unions and partners to ensure life-saving and life-maintaining care is provided during the industrial action, patient safety is maintained and disruption is minimised," a spokesman said.

Welsh Conservatives health spokesman Russell George said the Welsh government needed to stop "blaming UK ministers for failing in its own responsibilities".

"Patients cannot be allowed to suffer with our public services at a standstill and staff cannot be expected to burn out because Labour ministers cannot get their act together," he said.

Plaid Cymru health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said a "substantive" pay rise had to be built into health workers' salaries.

"It's up to government now to avert future strikes by putting a deal on the table that can put the NHS on a firmer foundation for the future," he said.


'It was stomach-churning'
Victoria Andrews had to take daughter Niamh to hospital when she had a seizure


The situation with ambulance availability means parents are thinking twice about what activities they do with their children.

When Niamh, five, had a seizure as she practised gymnastics, her mum knew she had no choice but to dial 999.

Victoria Andrews was watching her daughter on the bars when her lips turned blue and she began staring into the distance and slipping off the apparatus.

"I managed to grab hold of her and as she went to the ground I could see that her jaw had started to lock, she started to convulse and to have a seizure," Ms Andrews said.

The midwife feared autistic Niamh was choking.

"She went into a full-on convulsion," Ms Andrews said.

On calling 999 the mum-of-one asked when an ambulance might arrive. The operator did not know.

Ms Andrews put Niamh in the recovery position and stayed on the line until Niamh stopped convulsing.

The midwife feared autistic Niamh was choking


Ms Andrews said: "I asked if it would be quicker if we drove ourselves. At this time Niamh was still lying on the floor, still completely out of it."

She and a friend rushed her to hospital, with Ms Andrews dubbing the experience "debilitating".

The 37-year-old said: "When your child is unwell, and something is happening to them that is completely out of your control, and that you know would normally need medical assistance, it's got to be the worst thing in the world.

"I've never felt stomach-churning like that. You're so out of your depth."

Ms Andrews knew when she dialled 999 they could be waiting for a long time.

But not getting an estimated time of arrival made it even more difficult.

"It's hard knowing when you make that phone call there's a chance that they won't be able to respond to you," she said.

It made life "that little bit more scary".

Ms Andrews said: "I avoid certain activities knowing there's a good chance something might happen and you may have to bundle your child into the car, or take them in [to hospital] yourself in a situation you never, ever want to be in."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×