Ambulance strike is disgraceful?

[somethingdifferenttoday]

I just read this on bbc news, "Unions say life-threatening callouts will continue to be responded to over the next 24 hours but some urgent calls, for example for late-stage labour or a fall in the home, might not be answered."

Is it just me who thinks this is disgraceful?

Late stage labour at home or an elderly person laying with a broken hip ARE emergencies! I'm not sure how people in a caring profession can strike knowing these calls will go unanswered.

The unions talk about the backlog, paramedics stuck outside hospitals in ambulances unable to unload and go back out on the road but then admit they are striking for more pay rather than as a protest about that. The average salary of ambulance staff of £47,000 and a 4% pay rise isn't enough they claim but if they are given a pay rise, they will stop striking.

I think they do deserve more money (we all do with inflation) but I can't get past them supposedly being in a caring profession but taking steps that WILL cause extra deaths regardless.

I work in the private sector and have had zero pay rise. If I went on strike nobody would die and I'd be fired. This approach is abusing the critical position of their roles. I hope they are not given a pay rise as it will just demonstrate that blackmail works to other public sector workers and we will have even more strikes.

YABU = I support them striking
YANBU = I agree, it's disgraceful behaviour from a caring profession

You struggle to get an ambulance for those things anyway! Last week, my mother was struggling to breathe with a serious infection on top of a lung condition. My aunt was told there was a 6-8 hour wait. During that time she fell unconscious and even then, it took a further 40 minutes for an ambulance to reach her, by which time CPR was being done by a relative! So in short, she needed to be critical before she got care. Unfortunately, what might have been a relative quick transfer to hospital when they were first called resulted in 2 ambulances and an urgent care practitioner being at the house for over two hours.

The ambulance service is in its knees and is already only really responding to critical cases in many area. As our experience shows, this is leading to huge inefficiency, as when an ambulance does get allocated, it a often more than one needed, taking further resources from others.

While my mother may have died anyway, I can't help but think the inability to get her seen by a doctor the day before, and the four hour wait on the day, contributed to her passing.

I'm totally behind the strikers. Without this, people are unaware of what is actually happening, and like you OP, seem to believe that ambulances will actually be able to respond when needed.

If part of the striking is down to abuse they receive from the public how is that the governments problem to fix?

I do support their need for better pay, but when the NHS is on its knees, nurses are striking and the country has a massive debt from a pandemic and is in a recession? No. Sorry, this isn't the time.

People will die because of this action.

YABU.

They don’t, as has been made clear already. However, if someone is going to save lives why on earth wouldn’t they be paid a decent wage?

I agree the collapse of the NHS is inevitable. How many people will die before we conclude we need an all party agreement on the future of the NHS I have no idea.

As a patient I would have had an ambulance yesterday if my heart failed, today I won't get one because the very people that I should be able to rely on have walked out on cat 2 calls.

My issue is not the strike as such, my issue is that they are not even covering the most serious of calls. They didn't need to harm patients to make a point. But they have, and they will.

You lost me at the refusal of cat 2 call outs.

Unforgiveable.

YABU

Paramedics deserve the world in my opinion, they’re first on scene for murders, suicides, dying children, the things they see and deal with day to day is horrific.

Anger should be directed to the government not them. I support them a million percent.

This one thousand times

Also the responses saying "noone I know in real life supports the strikes/only on Mumsnet"...

Maybe you just know a lot of really really right wing people in real life and there's a slightly broader range of opinions on here?

Just like in real life I don't know anyone who's anti strike but I'm aware that they exist outwith my personal social circle!

Unions and control will be sending striking paramedics to emergencies on a case by case basis anyways they aren't just leaving people!

YANBU

YABVU

Those at fault are the 12 years of Conservative government who have deliberately driven the NHS to its knees. They want it to collapse completely so they can privatise the lot.

My ambulance service is the only one NOT striking today. Last week there were 18 ambulances waiting outside A&E. It’s really not just about their wages. I honestly don’t know what the answer is.

YABU. Striking workers are defending the threadbare public services that we all depend on and we should be grateful to them for taking the hit. The only people to blame here are the government.

Maybe some of us have the sense to hold accountable those actually responsible for running and managing the service, rather than the workers they have been systematically abusing for years.

The government could resolve this today if they wanted to, they could have resolved it months ago. They do not want to. That is on them.

Country is full of carers who get £67 a week, try that.

WTF? Of course carers don't just get £67 a week! I am all in favour if increased wages for them but that must be a typo.

YABU. I support their strike.

YABU
It's not only today that I feel worried that if my family needed an ambulance it won't come - I have felt this way for months.

If my husband had a heart attack, I had a stroke or my child had a serious accident I have zero faith that an ambulance would come in a timely manner on a non strike day. So I fully support the strike. I'll take my chances today for the hope that someone listens and we can have a better tomorrow.

Our NHS workers are not just striking for improved pay they are striking to save our NHS service.

I expect any increase in deaths and poor outcomes today will be tiny compared to months of people waiting 10 hours for an ambulance, another 5 outside A&E, then being stuck on a trolley.

So your fate lies in the hands of some highly paid union officials

YABU – what's disgraceful is the Govt and specifically Steve Barclay refusing to sit down for more talks to avert the strike. The ego on that man is off the charts. He's a bully and a misogynist.

The government could resolve this today if they wanted to, they could have resolved it months ago. They do not want to. That is on them.

This

YABVU

More pay and perks than everybody else? DH is senior management in a sales area and gets £70k+, pension, a company car, medical insurance, many parties (some abroad), random vouchers and gifts. He’s only ever saved one life and not in a work capacity (although we’re very proud of him for that) and his work only benefits his company and the businesses that his company supports.

What exactly are the perks that paramedics get? An OK pension and the odd coffee bought for them by a grateful stranger? The opportunity to work a 12 hour shift with no break? Trauma?

Yes paramedics warn more than shop workers (but nowhere near the £47k average lie that’s being trotted out) but they also have to have a degree and have a huge amount of responsibility.

If people who work in other industries feel that their pay and conditions are insufferable, then FGS go on strike too.

Then strike!!!!

Strike in May or June when people may be able to cope and STILL answer cat 1 and 2 calls.

You can not expect the public to support a strike that kills people!!!!!!!!

It is akin to manslaughter.

You know you ARE doing massive harm, and yet you are still refusing to answer cat 2 call outs.

All for more money.

I hope you are happy that people will die just before christmas, that could have been saved.

Seriously I am so so angry.