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 tell you what's really a disgrace.

That because of years of underfunding THIS will be our normal day to day existence if the government don't listen. Or do you think all these dedicated professionals will just put up and shit up forever? They won't. They'll leave. And then we'll be really fucked.

You're directing your anger at the wrong people

YABU. People have been put at risk for years because the government have crippled the NHS. It's on the politicians, not on the people who do such an amazing job for inadequate recognition or pay.

They shouldn't need an emergency ambulance for antibiotics.

YABU

👏👏👏👏👏

It's not just about pay. Not for any of the people striking. That grabs the headlines and makes people nice and angry. All the health professionals I know tell me it's mainly about conditions.

They are fighting to try and save our NHS. To force the government to fix what they've broken.

So YABU.

YABU we already can't have an ambulance when we need one. Something must change!

YABVVVU. Labour btw is rarely an "emergency" and your plans should be in place FAR in advance anyway.

Oh thats okay then!
I can't believe what I am reading on here.

What about those that have heart attacks, serious injuries, children with strep A or severe burns or any number of cat 2 calls. Where time is of the essence.
They don't matter either?

YABU. How bad must things have got if the are prepared to strike?

Well if GPs on a 100grand a year started seeing patients and doing home.visits to those with chronic illnesses like they used to , maybe paramedic ambulances wouldn't be tied up to 2hours in patients homes having to treat them

They may when the calpol has worn off and the GPs are closed for a v long BH/Christmas weekend.

Although it's refreshing to know people think it's acceptable for an older person to die of covid and you don't bat an eyelid...

Absolutely this.

I do think the Government need to take urgent action on the NHS - but it fundamentally needs more funding - which means more taxes for everyone.

YABU

Striking is a luxury only afforded to those who are paid by tax payers

Not true.

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/dec/08/jacobs-cream-crackers-maker-crumbles-in-face-of-permanent-strike

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/nov/28/bt-awards-tens-of-thousands-of-staff-1500-cost-of-living-pay-rise

Yabu

no point having ambulances queued at hospitals and not being able to unload.

Govt needs to sort it out.

YABU

We need to make these essential jobs (ambulance service, nurses, carers, social workers) respected and valued in society and part of that is reflected in their salaries.

Would you currently activately encourage your DS or DD to be a nurse or medic?

How dare the nurses and ambulance staff ask for a wage rise? Surely they can live on fresh air ? And don’t get me started on it’s a vocation

The police ( mainly male dominated) do not strike because their wages are higher than nurses and have wage increase without striking, Nurses ( mainly female) profession have much lower salaries but have never been on strike
I’m glad at long last they are! This gender discrepancy is something to be considered disgraceful and the government should treat both professions the same
if anything is disgraceful it’s the governments attitude to people who took the sharp end of covid, and where is Rishi? Has anyone seen him?
Not ever meeting the nurses union is what’s truly disgraceful in my eyes.,

I think we are being inundated by paramedics sitting at home defending their indefensible position.

People will die today. Well done you.

YABU

And what about them on a non-strike day?

YABU

Pay and conditions are inextricably linked. Increasing pay means retaining more staff and encouraging people to join the profession, and this reduces the brutal understaffing.

So there is no "striking over conditions is fine but they shouldn't strike over pay". They are the same thing.

@Venetiaparties they are answering some cat 2 calls, they've said that all along. They will make a clinical judgement if they think cat 2 needs an ambulance.

These people can't get an ambulance when there isn't a strike so should be getting themselves to hospital by their own steam all of the time