Nottinghamshire ambulance workers are set to strike again over two days next week

Industrial action is planned to take place at East Midlands Ambulance Service on Monday, February 6, to Tuesday, February 7, with members of the Royal College of Nursing also out on strike in hospitals.

Additionally, other members of the GMB union, which also represents some school workers, people who are employed in social care and local government are also striking, along with Unite union members – both on Monday, February 6.

Ben Holdaway, Director of Operations at EMAS said: “Previous industrial action days at EMAS have been immensely challenging, and we expect the same again on Monday and Tuesday.

“We continue to work closely with trade union colleagues, and NHS and blue-light service providers across the region to do all we can to minimise the impact on patient safety. However, we anticipate that during action there will be fewer ambulances available and therefore our response to our patients will, inevitably, be much slower on the day.

“As we head towards the weekend, the NHS remains open and people are asked not to store up their health conditions or soldier on if they become unwell or injured – seek early advice from your local pharmacist, NHS111 Online, via your GP or Urgent Treatment Centre; and if you have a long-term condition, ensure you continue to take your routine medication as advised by your GP.

“During industrial action we will continue to carefully assess and prioritise an ambulance response for those who need it most.

“It is important that the public use services wisely and make their own way to a treatment centre or hospital if safe to do so; this allows us to send our ambulances with life-saving equipment and clinicians on board to people who really need them.”

They are offering the following advice:

It’s important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk; GP services are not impacted by this strike action. Please continue to attend your GP appointments, unless you are contacted and told otherwise; If you need medical help or advice, go to NHS 111 online unless it is a life-threatening emergency (eg cardiac arrest) when you should still call 999; Ambulances will still be able to respond in these situations, but this may only be where there is an immediate risk to life; 999 call handlers will be able to advise callers if it is safe for the patient (with support of relatives or friends when required) to make their own way to a treatment centre or hospital; There will be fewer ambulances on the roads during industrial action, with the NHS prioritising those with life-threatening needs. Therefore, patients whose condition is not life-threatening are unlikely to get an ambulance on strike days. During strike days, NHS 111 call centres will also have fewer staff, with longer call response times expected across the system. Anyone with a non-urgent care need is asked to seek help from the NHS 111 online: https://111.nhs.uk/