London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 22, 2025

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

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×