London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

Ambulance strike: Warning of very challenging days ahead

Ambulance strike: Warning of very challenging days ahead

Hospitals have been quieter than normal during a day of ambulance strikes, but Thursday is likely to be "very challenging" with lots of patients turning up, health bosses say.

Only the most serious 999 calls have been responded to.

But there is no evidence of people going to A&E in taxis or their own cars, NHS Providers told the BBC.

Thousands of paramedics, call handlers and technicians are taking action in England and Wales until midnight.

Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, mental-health trusts and ambulance services in England, said it was still too early to know the full impact of the strike, but she said category-one calls - which are life-threatening situations - "had been answered".

And she said she had heard talk of union members "coming off the picket line" to answer those calls.

But she warned of a rebound effect over the coming days as large numbers of people turn to the health service, pushing up demand to levels similar to the day after a bank holiday.

"Tomorrow and Friday are going to be incredibly difficult days across the NHS because there is a lot of unseen demand and risk out there," she said.

"People have changed their behaviour today. They've heeded the call not to use services.

"But some will have chosen not to use them at all, even though they need them."


The military were drafted in to fill behind striking staff

Andrew Morgan, chief executive of United Lincolnshire Hospitals said there had probably been more walk-ins on Wednesday.

This can create "more of an issue" because staff do not know people are coming in or what is wrong with them, he said.

Mr Morgan said Thursday could be a "very difficult day" - predicting that people who thought they should not call an ambulance or should stay away from emergency departments on Wednesday would come in.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service - one of nine where industrial action was taking place in England - said there had been a reduction in calls and staff were grateful to the public for heeding advice to call 999 only in life-threatening situations.

Meanwhile, South East Coast and Yorkshire Ambulance Services said they were still in the midst of a critical incident - a level at which there is an unusually high amount of pressure on services.

Unions have agreed that ambulance workers will still respond to category-one 999 calls and the most serious category-two calls (emergencies, including strokes and major burns) during strikes, but there would be no guarantee of a response to less urgent calls, such as falls.

This prompted Health Secretary Stephen Barclay to accuse unions of taking a conscious decision to inflict harm on patients - an accusation that Unite union leader Sharon Graham said was a "blatant lie".

"The unions have negotiated critical cover, including 999 calls, at a local level with hosts of NHS trusts. That is how it is done," she said.

People were also being urged to use their own transport or take a taxi to get to hospital, and some hospitals are advising pregnant women very close to their due date to make alternative plans to travel there, should they need to.

But Ms Cordery said that "as far as we can tell", people had not been attending A&E in taxis or by their own vehicles.

The strikes come at a time when the health service is already under immense pressure.

Lengthy ambulance response times, long delays to hand over patients at A&E departments, and patients not being discharged quickly enough from hospital when they are ready to go home are creating a 'flow' problem, experts say.

Ambulance waits for calls classed as emergencies have doubled in two years - from an average of around 20 minutes to more than 40 minutes. The target is 18 minutes.

There are also record-high numbers of people waiting for operations - now seven million in England alone - an issue that has been made much worse by the Covid pandemic.


What's happening in my area?


Not all unions are striking over the same hours on Wednesday, and it is difficult to say how many employees at each individual service will strike.

You can use our interactive tool to find out which unions are on strike at your local ambulance service.

Today's strike only involves staff in England and Wales.

Ambulance workers are demanding a pay rise above inflation which they say will improve morale and help prevent staff, faced with rising pressures, from leaving their jobs.

But government ministers say most ambulance staff have received a pay rise of at least 4%, taking average earnings to £47,000. A further pay increase would mean taking money from frontline services, they added.

In Scotland, two major health unions - Unison and Unite - previously called off ambulance strike action following pay talks.

The GMB union voted to reject a pay deal from the Scottish government - but it is not striking there today because it's still considering its next steps, and it says it hopes strike action will not be necessary.

Northern Ireland's ambulance service held a 24-hour strike on 12 December.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×