Latest Information on Strike Action- update from North West Ambulance Service

"Further to our updates this week, we can confirm industrial action by all three ambulance trade unions (Unite, GMB and Unison) between 18 – 23 March have now been suspended. This is after the Government continued talks with trade unions and proposed a formal pay offer earlier today (Thursday 16 March) which will now be consulted on with Trade Union members.

We are now able to fully stand down all arrangements that were put in place to mitigate the impact of the strike.

We are grateful to colleagues both on and off the picket lines, and in the trade unions, as well as system partners for all their support and collaboration throughout industrial action, ensuring that we continued to respond to patients in need of an emergency response.

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Following the announcement of industrial action, we have worked closely with our unions and staff to ensure that we are able to continue to deliver a response to the most serious emergencies for our patients and to agree an approach for the days when industrial actions is taking place.

This has focused on consideration to support colleagues’ right to take action in collaboration with potential impacts on patient care. The priority throughout has been balancing patient safety with the right to strike.

On the day of action, despite utilising some resources from external sources, the trust will be operating with reduced capacity. As much as we can, we will prioritise those with life-threatening conditions but it is important to acknowledge that ambulance waits are to be expected. Those with less serious conditions are likely to be asked to seek alternatives.

The assistance of the public is vital so for illness or injury which is not life-threatening, people should seek help and advice from their own GP, a pharmacist, or via NHS 111 Online at 111.nhs.uk or find other means of transport to an emergency care centre.

Further information is available to the public here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/information-for-the-public-on-industrial-action/ and we will continue to publish further advice here."

Article source: North West Ambulance Service here.