Yorkshire Ambulance Service warns of 'significant disruption' during bank holiday NHS strikes

Unite members walked out on Bank Holiday Monday in a dispute over pay

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has warned that "significant disruption" is possible on Bank Holiday Monday as Unite members strike over pay.

The union is staging the walkout after members rejected a government pay offer by 61 percent.

The strike coincides with a walkout by the Royal College of Nursing which starts at 8pm on Sunday 30th April affecting NHS trusts in West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service is urging people to use its service appropriately.

Nurses in Sheffield are among RCN members who are on strike at the same time as ambulance workers

Nick Smith, Executive Director of Operations, said: "As the strike action also coincides with what is expected to be a busy bank holiday and industrial action being taken by many nurses across Yorkshire, we are expecting a challenging day on Monday.

"Our resources will be stretched and services are likely to be disrupted, with a possibility of delays in emergency responses and telephone calls to 999 and NHS 111 being answered.

"We need the public to use our services wisely, but particularly our emergency ambulance service. We will be here for those who really need us, but you should only call 999 when someone is in a life-threatening or very serious condition."

The strike comes after the GMB and Unison members accepted the government's NHS pay offer.

Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: "Unless and until the government puts forward a deal that meets the needs of our members, strike action will continue.

"The anger amongst NHS workers at the downward spiral of wages and working conditions that are wrecking havoc on patient care is palpable. Until this is resolved, Unite will be organising decisive strike action with more and more of our members."

The government has called the offer a "fair and reasonable proposal".

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

"It is hugely disappointing some unions are escalating strike action this week – including the RCN, despite only a third of its members rejecting the government’s fair and reasonable offer on pay, which other unions accepted.

"The RCN’s decision not to provide any national exemptions from strike action including for emergency and cancer care, also risks patient safety, though I welcome the fact a number of local mitigations have been agreed for critical services.

"These strikes will put more pressure on the NHS and will be incredibly disruptive for patients."