North West Ambulance Service paramedic says strike is about compromises to patient care and safety
Video report by Granada Reports correspondent's Rob Smith and Tim Scott
A paramedic preparing to strike for the second time in weeks says he is doing so because patient safety and level of care is being "compromised" due to a lack of resources.
Dave Robb says his, and other members', decision to walk out is about more than a pay claim and instead about the "significant impact" being felt on patient care.
He added that, in his 36-year career, he had never seen things as bad as they currently were, which had left those on the frontline with no choice.
"We don't do it willy nilly," Rob said. "We take the action when we think it's the most appropriate.
"It is really, really important to us as operating staff, it is important we maintain patient safety and patient care, and we believe that is being compromised due to the funding over the last 12 years."
Dave is among hundreds of North West ambulance crews, paramedics and 999 call handlers taking strike action in a dispute over pay and the levels of care they can provide.
"No matter who you talk to it is with a heavy heart that we take this sort of action", David said.
"We're not greedy people. We just want to have a pay structure that will in line with the current inflation and hopefully that will help retain staff."
He said a lack of staff meant the service could not get to patients when it wanted to, with the demand outstripping "the resources on a daily basis".
"If we got more resources and more funding we could put more vehicles out there and recruit more staff," he added.
Dave also said less places to discharge patients to was causing bed-blocking problem at hospitals, which in turn was having an impact on the service they could provide.
"We put out roughly 100 vehicles a day," he said. "As it stands at the moment there are currently 40 of those are being held up for hours upon hours upon hours outside A&E departments.
"That's having a significant impact on the health and wellbeing on the staff and also a significant impact on the patient and the patient's care. We are struggling."
He added that just two months ago his station lost five paramedics because they "could not take the stress on their health and wellbeing of them as a person" any longer.
On the eve of the strike, the Government announced it wants to bring in new legislation requiring a minimum level of service for key workers during industrial action.
Business Secretary Grant Shapps says anti-strike laws are a "common-sense" response to the wave of industrial unrest.
But the proposals were condemned as "draconian", unworkable and illegal by unions, who warned the legislation would “poison industrial relations” and lead to more walkouts.
Lizanne Devonport, from Unison North West, said: "The offer from government does not meet what is required so people can pay their bills, feed their children and live a decent quality if life.
"The offer is not nearly enough for people to live on and it's time they came back to the table to improve that offer.
"This isn't just about the pay that people currently employed take home - it's about attracting people to work in the NHS and deliver that vital public service."
NHS England urged people to still call 999 if their condition is life-threatening but to turn to NHS 111, pharmacies and GPs for non-urgent needs.
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A paramedic has told ITV News that he has never seen the NHS in such dire straits in his 36-year career, as he prepares to go on strike for the second time in weeks.
David Robb says he is "disappointed" the Government could not come to any agreement with unions in order to suspend the action taking place on Wednesday, 11 January.
He is among hundreds of North West ambulance crews, paramedics and 999 call handlers that will walk out in a dispute over pay and the levels of care they can provide.
It comes at a time when the health service is under extreme pressure, with long waits in hospitals UK-wide and not enough staff to take care of patients.
David Robb, who has been an paramedic in the region for more than three decades and will be on the picket line on Wednesday, says he has never seen it so bad.
"No matter who you talk to it is with a heavy heart that we take this sort of action", David said.
"We're not greedy people. We just want to have a pay structure that will in line with the current inflation and hopefully that will help retain staff."
For David and the other striking union members it is about more than a pay claim - it is about the safety of patients after a steep decline in care.
"It's important that we maintain patient safety and patient care and we believe that has been compromised due to funding over the last 12 years", David said.
"We put out roughly 100 vehicles a day. As it stands at the moment there are currently 40 of those are being held up for hours upon hours outside A&E departments."
On the eve of the strike, the Government announced it wants to bring in new legislation requiring a minimum level of service for key workers during industrial action.
Business Secretary Grant Shapps says anti-strike laws are a "common-sense" response to the wave of industrial unrest.
But the proposals were condemned as "draconian", unworkable and illegal by unions, who warned the legislation would “poison industrial relations” and lead to more walkouts.
Lizanne Devonport, from Unison North West, said: "The offer from government does not meet what is required so people can pay their bills, feed their children and live a decent quality if life.
"The offer is not nearly enough for people to live on and it's time they came back to the table to improve that offer.
"This isn't just about the pay that people currently employed take home - it's about attracting people to work in the NHS and deliver that vital public service."
NHS England urged people to still call 999 if their condition is life-threatening but to turn to NHS 111, pharmacies and GPs for non-urgent needs.
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