Ambulance workers covering Milton Keynes and Aylesbury Vale set to take strike action

Ambulance workers covering Milton Keynes and Aylesbury Vale are set to take strike action next week in a dispute over pay and conditions.

For the first time since industrial action began South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) will see members of Unite and Unison join members of the GMB union in taking planned industrial action.

The dates of the industrial action include March 6, March 8 and March 20.

The action is being undertaken in relation to a dispute between the unions and Government, not directly against SCAS as an employer.

Mark Ainsworth, Director of Operations at SCAS, said: “The escalation of the industrial action in SCAS now means it is at a level that has already been experienced by other NHS ambulance trusts during this dispute.

"We have been liaising closely with colleagues in those trusts to help ensure that SCAS as an organisation is as prepared as possible to continue prioritising our services to patients with immediately life-threatening or time critical conditions when industrial action is taking place.

“We have seen on previous days where significant industrial action in the NHS outside of SCAS has taken place, that the public have heeded our pleas to only call 999, or go to A&E, for immediately life-threatening or serious emergencies. I would urge people in our region to help us - and more importantly help those people who really need us in a life or death situation - to please keep doing this on 6, 8 and 20 March.

“We need people to seek help and advice from alternatives to 999, such as their own GP or local pharmacy where services are unaffected. For urgent help for people aged five or over, use NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk. Outside of normal GP hours, call 111 for children under five and only call 999 if it's a life-threatening emergency."

The impact on patients will be minimised as far as possible ,however, it is likely that most people calling 999 without a life-threatening or immediately serious need, will not be sent an ambulance resource and will be directed to alternative, local services.

All three days of industrial action will see a significant impact on SCAS' services, but it will be most severe on March 8.

Mr Ainsworth added: “From our conversations with other ambulance trusts, where this level of industrial action has taken place, we know it is vital to ensure that we have sufficient clinicians in our clinical co-ordination centres to be able to assess, triage and help callers with urgent, but not emergency needs, find the most appropriate alternative care to an ambulance response.

"This will ensure that where we have less people and resources than we expected to be able to respond to calls due to industrial action, they will be protected as much as possible to ensure they are only available for patients calling 999 with the most serious or life-threatening emergencies."

Further information from NHS England is available here: