London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 24, 2026

Strikes Update: How Monday 23 January’s walkouts will affect you

Strikes Update: How Monday 23 January’s walkouts will affect you

As ambulance workers get ready to strike again, the message from the NHS once more is: only call 999 if you are seriously ill or your condition is life-threatening.

Monday's walkout will affect ambulance services in England and Wales.

The action will involve thousands of staff, including paramedics, control room staff and support workers in a dispute over pay.

You can read more or watch this report about why people are taking strike action, and below you can find information on how it could affect you.


Which ambulance staff are striking?


Thousands of members of the Unison, GMB and Unite trade unions are walking out on Monday across much of England and Wales, although the East of England will be unaffected.

Unison members are striking in five regions: London, Yorkshire, the South West, the North West and the North East.

Around 2,600 Unite members are expected to walk out in England's North West, the West Midlands and the North East, and a further 1,000 will walk out in Wales.

About 1,000 GMB members are striking in the West Midlands for 24 hours.

The start times and lengths of the walkouts vary between ambulance services, but most will last for about 12 hours.

The action will involve all ambulance employees, including call centre and control room staff, not just emergency crews.


Hospital staff strike:


Unison members at two Liverpool hospital trusts will also be walking out on Monday in a dispute about pay, at Liverpool Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the city's Heart and Chest Hospital.

The strike will include NHS staff except doctors, so staff such as porters, assistants and midwives.


Advice if you need to call emergency services:


NHS England says priority will be given to those with the most clinically urgent health needs.

The NHS advice is:

*  Call 999 If you are seriously ill or injured, or your life is in danger

*  For all other healthcare needs, contact the 111 helpline, your local GP or pharmacy

*  Attend appointments as planned. The NHS has said it will contact anyone whose appointment has to be rescheduled due to the strike

The NHS's Charlotte McArdle said: "It is important that people continue coming forward for treatment, whether it is 111 online... or calling 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

"While strikes will impact some services in those local organisations taking action, NHS teams have worked hard to maintain routine care as much as possible."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Iranian Hackers Shut Down British Power Plant for Four Days in Landmark Cyber Attack
Novak Djokovic Reveals Relentless Self-Doubt and Rejects Retirement in New Documentary
Trump Imposes 50% Tariffs on Canadian Goods After Bilateral Trade Talks Collapse
First Bus Bars Unaccompanied Under-Sixteens From Evening Services in Stoke-on-Trent
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Cost UK Waste Sector About One Billion Pounds a Year
Reform UK Proposes Lower Social Housing Priority for Foreign-Born Naturalised Citizens
UK Government Deploys AI Drones in Crackdown on Illegal Waste Dumping
EU Biometric Border Checks Cause Disruption for British Travellers and Freight Operators
UK Expands Voluntary Drug Treatment Programme for Sex Offenders to Twenty Prisons
CrossCountry Cancels Most Services After Major Power Failure at Control Centre
Met Office Warns El Niño Could Bring Severe Autumn Storms and Higher Food Prices
Resolution Foundation Says UK Productivity Growth May Be Stronger Than Official Data Suggest
Andy Burnham Proposes Giving Regional Mayors Greater Planning Powers
UK Government Overhauls Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Links
Russia Withdraws Ambassador to Britain and Warns of Retaliation Over UK Drone Supplies to Ukraine
Iran-Linked Hackers Blamed for Cyberattack That Shut Down UK Power Plant
Andy Burnham Pledges UK Support for Long-Range Missile Production in Ukraine
Australia Combines Indigenous Fire Knowledge With Satellite Tech to Combat Catastrophic Wildfires
Father and Son Jailed in Scotland Over £900,000 Airport Cannabis Smuggling Operation
UK Fraud Reports Surge Sevenfold as Criminals Exploit QR Codes in Parking Meters and Phishing Emails
Brighton Thrash Aston Villa in Four-Goal Opening Half as Manchester City Trail Bournemouth
Erin Patterson Appeals Triple Murder Convictions After Hotel Mixed Sequestered Jury With Prosecution
Bank of England Maintains Close Watch on Banks Amid Global Economic Uncertainty
Warm Weather and Tourism Support UK High Street Spending During Summer
Westminster Faces Continuing Political and Administrative Fallout From Epstein Files Release
UK Invests in Domestic Defence Drone Manufacturing to Strengthen Military Supply Chains
Around Five Million UK Households Face Higher Mortgage Payments by 2028
Bluetongue Virus Cases Rise Across England, Wales and Scotland
UK Government Holds First National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism
Historic Summer Droughts Threaten UK Harvests and Put Further Pressure on Food Prices
UK Economy Holds Up in Second Quarter Despite Global Energy and Geopolitical Pressures
UK Opens National Artificial Intelligence Safety Testing Facility
UK Government Finalizes Plans to Bring Remaining Regional Rail Services Into Public Ownership
Environment Agency Imposes Record Penalties on Water Companies Over Illegal Sewage Discharges
Great British Energy Announces Offshore Wind Partnership in North Sea
UK Government Tightens Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Development
NHS Launches Digital Overhaul to Cut Elective Care Waiting Lists
Bank of England Signals Interest Rates May Stay Higher for Longer as Inflation Pressures Persist
The rise and fall of Hui Ka Yan, China’s richest man
Woke: Britain Considers Plain Packaging for Cigars as Specialist Shops Warn of Industry Collapse
Britain's Public-Service Productivity Remains Below 2019 as £80 Billion Output Gap Fuels WFH Debate
Mandelson Epstein Case in Jeopardy as U.S. Files Stay Out of Reach
Prince Harry and Six Others Ordered to Pay £9.5 Million After High Court Defeat
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Inflation and Energy Risks Persist
UK AI Security Tests Find Autonomous Agent Attempting Malicious Code Injection
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Amid Global Pressures
UK Joins European Allies in Condemning Israeli Settlement Plans in West Bank E1 Area
Multiple People Killed in A66 Collision Near Middlesbrough Involving Police Vehicle
UK Government Holds First National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism
UK Met Office Warns of Severe Autumn Storms as Strong El Niño Follows Historic Drought
×