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

I don’t see that it is a stupid comparison. The being paid by the tax payer is just a pointless argument.

Do we value them? Do they do a necessary job? My answer is yes to both and therefore I think it is ridiculous that they are being paid wages where they are relying on top ups to survive. Pay people properly and we wouldn’t be having strikes.

@Gruffalo101 I agree with you. Doesn't take much effort to ask an intern to make an account and start a thread, does it? And voila, you've reached an incredible audience on one of the UK's biggest sites with your message, all for free.

^this 100%

I see the shit my DD has to put up.... the abuse from people such as from those hating on AHPs and Nurses posting on here.

I'll be glad when she leaves in a few months time.

They're not striking in my area and I wish they were!

I know is so frightening. In my immediate group and work colleagues I know of very few that have not needed medical intervention, including myself. For people like me who are some way from a hospital there is no way you would be staying at home as long as you can as previously encouraged to do.

It's also conveniently overlooking the fact the RCN said they were willing to accept a lower offer if Steve Barclay reopened talks BUT HE REFUSED. The ambulance service asked to sit down again BUT HE REFUSED. He and Sunak allowing these strikes to go ahead because they want to stoke division and get the public behind their plan to outlaw striking. If anyone is to blame for people dying today, it's those two.

Meanwhile, MPs have had a 29.6% pay rise in the past decade.

I’ll agree the timing has been designed to be at the most disruptive time and dangerous. I think that is ill advised and has lost them support. I still think they should be paid adequately but I can’t agree with the timing of the strike. It’s not the same as baggage handlers, while it’s frustrating that you might miss your holiday it’s not life or death. Striking in the spring would still have had an affect.

Mick Lynch is nothing to do with ambulance drivers. It's a different union. Does that help?

I am interested to know your occupation and education level. You don't seem to have much idea of what you are arguing so vehemently about.

Mick Lynch has nothing to do with the ambulance service striking…

@Venetiaparties
@MarshaBradyo

she can get a taxi to the hospital should she go into labour

simple

Do you really not see what is happening with the NHS.This government have wanted to dismantle the NHS for years and this is their opportunity to do it.Just as Maggie Thatcher wanted to break the miners Rishi Sunak wants to break the nurses and paramedics.YBVU not to be terrified by the prospect of losing the NHS.I fully support the strike action and so should everyone with an ounce of sense.

No way can I think like that. I see a population made to be terrified of a virus for two years that was low risk

Now a withdrawal of ambulances and people are blasé and welcome it.

The using health as leverage and holding people to ransom over pay isn’t the way to go.

I agree we need to overhaul the NHS now, once and for all.

Many people can not get themselves or loved ones to hospital, it is not a choice to be driven or call an ambulance if they don't own a car/have acccess to taxis rurally / elderly/ live alone etc. Many tens of thousands have no means to get to a hospital by a car. Our closest is over 30 miles away.

YABU they have no other choice.

YABU for myriad reasons.

Mick Lynch ✔️
Marxist ✔️
“killing innocents” ✔️

Someone who believes the Daily Mail is news.

Absolutely....also gps on 100k is like paramedics on 47k... yes some will be most aren't...

They are seeing patients at home and in surgery all day... people can't get seen because there are not enough of them - all their appointments are full and they cannot physically expand time or see 2 people at once. The ignorance and vitriol of the public is contributing more to gps leaving than anything else... yes complain about lack of provision .. its shocking, but not by taking out those trying against the odds to provide some semblance of service.

@Venetiaparties

when is a good time to strike then?

The secretary of state has said today that he’s willing to negotiate, except negotiate on the one issue that the trade unions want to negotiate on, which is pay
So if the strike really were not about pay, then why is the union now refusing to negotiate?

I wouldn't bother expecting an answer to that, Onnabugeisha, since basically there isn't one other than accepting the boo hooing about patient care is a merely a cover for the unions' deliberately scheduled hellfest

Very few would dispute that our public services have been dreadful for years and the reasons for that are various, but as Venetia correctly said "Everyone is aware we need to overhaul the NHS. But you don't stop answering the phone to those having a heart attack to make your point"

They could have held the strike in the spring when the NHS is not already buckling over the winter with flu, strep and covid.

They could have answered cat 2 calls.

They had PLENTY of choice, but choose to let people die.

I have made it to hospital when in labour no issue, of course many do by foot or taxi. It wasn’t that part that would worry me.

YABU
like you I work in the public sector and have had zero pay rise since austerity. Added to which my hours have been increased, overtime rates have gone, pension contributions trebled. In real terms it is far more serious than just failing to keep up with inflation; there has been a substantial pay decrease. Added to which we have horrible working conditions. Heating is often broken. Building in a state of disrepair etc etc.

All of the public sector is broken. We can’t attract or keep good staff because the pay is terrible. This has an effect on the quality of the service almost as much as the under funding itself.

No-one wants to strike but it’s an utter disgrace that people employed in the public sector (or elsewhere for that matter) are choosing between heating and eating and having to use food banks etc.

YABU. I hate to break it to you but even without the strike - elderly patients who fall and break a bone are already waiting hours an hours for an ambulance. Then other patients are waiting hours an hours even after they are in an ambulance to be transferred to A&E. The NHS is broken and staff have been shouting about this for years and nothing has improved - striking is their last resort to try ang get people to realise how bad it is.

Spring would be better. Not so much demand with flu, covid and strep which has arrived early.

Either winter or spring they should have agreed to answer CAT 2 calls.

That is the real issue here!!

You don't use actual people as fodder for a protest.

This is my point.

Were I to go into early labour yesterday or today, my response would be the same. Call a taxi. Not call an ambulance. It would never get to me.

The government has run the ambulance service into the ground. It didn’t work yesterday and it won’t work tomorrow unless something changes.