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

When the Government embarked on years of phenomenally badly managed austerity, it knew wars and pandemics can and do happen. Now it’s trying to blame these things for its own mismanagement. Sorry, but it’s not pandemics and wars that have caused the current crisis situation in the NHS and social care, it’s greed and corruption, which for years helped siphon money off to Putin’s war chests, to offshore accounts, to obscure companies the deliberately hide their real ownership, to tax breaks and bonuses for the people who facilitate the hoarding of money outside the access of inconvenient democratic oversight or taxation. Greed and corruption bring great rewards. Caring - not so. The Government has created a philosophical system where it does not pay, emotionally, physically, mentally or financially, to care.

This is exactly what the Torys want you to think.

"Don't take risks" from Sunak. Then it's naughty us for being unwell enough to need an ambulance, then the ambulance service/NHS for us not getting what we need.

Completely missing the fact that if NHS and Healthcare staff in general were paid their worth this wouldn't be happening in the first place But you Tory's want to blame the poor and the lowly Key Workers you irritatingly smacked pots and pans for every Thursday. Remember? The ones you called Heroes?

@Venetiaparties all this bullshit about cat 2 calls... how many people need to explain to you how many of these people are told to make their own way into hospital every day pre strikes because there was no ambulance available?! This is nothing new and it's absolutely not right but it's nothing new. If ambulance controls get a cat 2 call today and they have an ambulance crew free then they will obviously dispatch- it's not a blanket rule that unless you are not conscious or breathing that you will not get an ambulance but obviously these will be prioritised.
As a mother who called when my 3 year old was blue and having a seizure and was told to drive her the 30 minute drive to hospital because there was no ambulance available IN THE SUMMER I support the strikes as something has to change. There is never a good time to strike but if paramedics, nurses, Gps continue to leave in their droves then this will only get worse. I was lucky my daughter didn't die that day.
No nurses or paramedics expect to get a 19% payrise but it is a starting point for negotiations.
And all your bullshit about Mick Lynch is laughable as what have the rail unions got to do with us.
Go direct your deranged anger at someone or something else.

YABU.

At least they had an ambulance to wait in, and pain relief. Now they won't. They will die in the cold and without help

What does Mick Lynch have to do with it? He has nothing to do with the health service. It sounds like you have an issue with all strikes.

And I didn’t say this was a great time to have a strike, I said the health service is under pressure all year round and there is no good time to have a strike. Thats different.
Am fine with who I am as a person, but thanks for your reflections.

Your anger is quite scary. Is there something else going on that is making you so militant about this? A family health issue, maybe? With your mum?

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

but its ok for the government to use actual people as fodder with a failing system and ambulances not getting to people?

YABU

It's really simple. The original pay settlement was approved when inflation was at about 4%. Then it soared to 10%. The original pay settlement was not a rise, it was running to stand still - and that was after years of effective pay cuts (settlements below inflation). Now public sector staff are being asked to take an even bigger cut. So it absolutely should be about money alongside everything else. People need to pay soaring bills.

This government is being wrongheaded to adhere to a settlement agreed under very different conditions. They're forcing the strikes. And meanwhile Tory HQ is shilling on Mumsnet and people are falling for it.

The strike is to change working practices that will lead to improved working conditions and staff retention.

Despite the numerous threads and responses on this site alone discussing excessive waits in emergency situations it still seems you are not aware of how bad the service can be at the moment.

Spontaneous labour/heavy bleeding in pregnancy will typically code as a Cat1, (so will get a better response during the strike today then it would have done yesterday in most instances). When I'm on shift it's constant pleading over the radio from dispatch with open broadcasts for anyone that can come clear for an uncovered cat 1 to come clear (since there's no one to send). We are striking to improve the service that's being absolutely destroyed.

@Venetiaparties how dare you!!!! How fucking dare you attack the nurses and paramedics like you are!!!! You are vile!!!
Can you not pull your head out of your backside long enough to comprehend that paramedics, nurses, and many more are leaving the profession in droves!!! They cannot afford to live! They are earning the equivalent of 30% LESS than they were 20 years ago. Do you not understand that? We have nurses and paramedics relying on food banks!!!

If they leave what then? There will be no ambulance service at all! No hospitals either! Because there won't be anyone to staff them. They won't be able to replace them either as nobody would be able to afford to work for the pay. That's not because the nurses and paramedics are selfish - it's because they need to be able to afford a roof over their heads, heat to keep it warm and food to feed their kids! Who the hell are you to say they shouldn't be able to afford these things?

Pull your head out your backside. And actually do some bloody research.

But they aren’t getting the same pay and conditions. It’s the equivalent of signing up for a steak and being served a cheese sandwich. For those who started fifteen years ago, pay and conditions are considerably worse. If they do decide to leave, the service we receive deteriorates so that’s a non-starter. And why should they accept poor conditions? If their work is so important (and it is), they can, quite rightly, ask for better pay. Better pay would attract more workers so eventually other issues would be resolved. If market forces work for ICT consultants, engineers and coders, it can work for other professions, especially those who society really, really needs. We need to adjust our expectations so we get a service fit for purpose - health, education and other providers. ‘It’s a vocation’ isn’t cutting it right now.

OP - YABU but I understand your concerns. What a mess it all is.

I’m sure you’ll have a good birth anyway but women in early labour can still get to hospital. It’s other complications where that’s not possible that are the issue.

At least they had an ambulance to wait in, and pain relief. Now they won't. They will die in the cold and without help

no they didn't as the ambulances are backed up waiting at the hospital with patients inside whilst those still in need are waiting 10 + hours for any assistance

Schrodinger’s paramedics - too important to strike, not important enough to listen to when they say the pay and conditions are too poor to do their job 😁

Given all the faux outrage and lack of actual engagement with any counter arguments, I’m beginning to think they’re either a journalist stoking for headlines or a conservative PR campaign manager…

You are absolutely wrong.

Cat 2 calls will not be answered, no ambulance will be sent. So this is a major action to take, because people will die.

I am not angry, I am furious.

We can't improve ANYTHING by leaving people to die.
We improve things by having cross party talks and agreement - we know it is in crisis, and yes there needs to be a solution, but you are making things a million times worse by striking like this. At this time of year.

I am staggered anyone would ever agree to strike and let people die.

YANBU

Schrodinger’s paramedics - too important to strike, not important enough to listen to when they say the pay and conditions are too poor to do their job

indeed

strange how no one wants them to strike but doesn't want them to get paid a wage they can live upon

YABU.

YABU

They're not, they're a long-time poster.

I suppose it will just off some old folk that most people on here hate anyway so freeing up some houses for families to buy

What has happened is that a lot of ordinary people have finally got sick of paying for rich people to get richer all the time.