London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

Avoid contact sports during ambulance strikes, says minister

Avoid contact sports during ambulance strikes, says minister

A health minister has suggested people should avoid contact sport and unnecessary car journeys during ambulance strikes on Wednesday.

Will Quince said people should take "extra care" due to disruption, and he wouldn't go running on icy roads due to the additional risk.

Around 750 armed forces staff are being drafted in to cover the walkouts in England and Wales.

Mr Quince said ambulances should still respond to the most serious calls.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast earlier, he said people should avoid "risky activity" during the strikes, without specifying what he was referring to.

Labour MP Chris Bryant called the comments "an admission of government failure".

Pressed on his earlier comments in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Mr Quince said: "If there is activity that people are undertaking tomorrow, whether it's - for example - contact sport, they may want to review that".

Asked if people should go running, he said this was not "hugely risky", but added: "Would I go running tomorrow if it was still icy? No I wouldn't, because that would encompass additional risk".

But Downing Street would not be drawn on a definition of "risky activity", with the PM's spokesman telling reporters "I'm not going to get into a list".

He added: "We would never recommend anyone put themselves in harm's way on any given day."

Earlier, Mr Quince said ministers wanted ambulances to respond to category 1 and 2 situations, including cardiac arrests and strokes, during the strikes. Health Secretary Stephen Barclay will meet unions later to discuss service levels.

Mr Quince said military staff would not be able to drive ambulances under blue lights, go through red lights or break the speed limit - but would help ambulance staff to get people to A&E more quickly.

Health chiefs have warned of "extensive disruption," and urged hospitals to free up beds by safely discharging patients ahead of industrial action.

Measures should also be put in place to make sure ambulance patient handovers are kept to no more than 15 minutes, they advise.


Taxi bookings


Mr Quince added that for less serious categories, NHS trusts would be block-booking taxis to take people to hospital, and "encouraging people wherever possible" to find treatment by making journeys themselves.

Dr John Martin, president of the College of Paramedics, told MPs on Tuesday that using taxis could prove "far less safe" than ambulances for some patients.

Speaking at the Commons health committee, he said pain relief would not be available, and without an on-site medical assessment some people might be sent to hospital unnecessarily.

Ambulance availability during the strikes will depend on local agreements between unions and NHS trusts.

Rachel Harrison, national secretary at the GMB, one of the striking unions, told the committee most of these deals have now been signed off.

She added that "life and limb" cover would be provided across the board, but warned services would vary by area.

Along with the GMB, Wednesday's action will also involve members of the Unison and Unite unions. GMB members are also due to on strike again on 28 December.

Unions representing NHS staff in England and Wales are pushing for higher pay after being offered a below-inflation average 4.7% rise this year.

Unison has said troops are "no substitute for trained ambulance staff" - and a rethink on NHS wages from the government could have averted action.

The strike will follow strikes from nurses on Tuesday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who are taking their second day of action this month over pay.


Health Minister Will Quince: "There will be disruption on the day (Wednesday)"


Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
0:00
0:00
Close
Boris Johnson Claims He Found Listening Device in Bathroom After Netanyahu's Visit
Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei declared today: "If Israel retaliates, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground."
Scott Jennings leaves CNN panel speechless as he tears apart Tim Walz's flimsy excuse of being "too dumb to tell the truth."
GP Accused of Murder Plot with Lethal Injection
Key Insights from Boris Johnson's Memoir 'Unleashed'
Bank of England Governor Warns of Potential Middle East Oil Shock
BBC Cancels Interview with Boris Johnson Due to Briefing Note Mix-up
Boris Johnson's Memoir Unleashes Controversial Claims
Labour Peer Lord Alli Under Investigation
Laura Kuenssberg Cancels Scheduled Interview with Boris Johnson
Conservative Leadership Candidates Propose Reforms Post-Election Defeat
UK Prime Minister Seeks Closer UK-EU Relations
Labour MP Proposes New Assisted Dying Legislation
Rise in Vaping Among Young Adults Who Never Regularly Smoked
UK Reaffirms Commitment to Falkland Islands Amid Chagos Deal
Proposal for Reusing Graves to Address Burial Space Shortages
Dominican Republic Announces Massive Deportation Operation of Haitian Migrants
EU Urges UK PM Keir Starmer to Consider Youth Mobility Scheme
British Forces Help Thwart Iranian Missile Attack on Israel
Simon Case Rejoins Garrick Club Amid Mixed Reactions
Investigation into Labour Donor Waheed Alli's Register of Interests
Iceman Drug Boss Jailed: Major Crackdown on £76M Trafficking Operation
UK Evacuates Citizens from Lebanon Amid Growing Tensions
Rise in Vaping Among Non-Smokers in England
Earth Faces Severe Geomagnetic Storm from Solar Flare
Keir Starmer’s Corruption Exposed: Bribes (Yet Again), Broken Promises, and a Rigged System Shielding the Powerful
Bank of America Outage Leaves Customers Unable to Access Accounts, Sparks Concern
Iranian Mullah Claims Israel Used Genies to Hunt Hezbollah Leader
Privacy Concerns Over AI Monitoring of UK Bank Accounts
Robert Jenrick Reveals Daughter's Middle Name as Thatcher
Badenoch Criticizes Civil Servants, Jokes They Are 'Prison-Worthy'
UK Treasury Plans Major Infrastructure Cuts
Kemi Badenoch Criticizes Civil Servants at Conservative Party Conference
Thames Mudlarking Permits Resumed with New Restrictions
Decline in Education for Youth Offenders in England
Jimmy Carter Celebrates 100th Birthday
Iran's Missile Attack on Israel: Defeated but a Significant Escalation
Iran President Lauds Missile Attack on Israel as Decisive Response
Russia Criticizes Biden's Middle East Policies After Iran Attacks Israel
US Dockworkers Strike Halts Half of Nation’s Ocean Shipping
Boris Johnson claims in memoir Queen Elizabeth II had bone cancer
Missile Attack on Israel: A Turning Point for the Ayatollah’s Regime?
Teachers in England Approve 5.5% Pay Rise
Robert Jenrick Criticized for Statements on UK Special Forces
Robert Jenrick Faces Transparency Issues Over Campaign Donations
Phillip Schofield Addresses Firing from ITV
UK Charters Evacuation Flight for Britons in Lebanon
UK Shop Prices Fall at Fastest Rate Since 2021
Keir Starmer Urged to Address Rising Energy Bills
Tom Tugendhat Warns Against Tories Turning into Reform UK
×