Ambulance strike causes blame game between unions, MPs

• Unions and MPs clashed over ambulance strike consequences.
• Unions and MPs argued about responsibility for ambulance strike deaths.
• NHS executives say patient safety can’t be guaranteed during the strike.

Ambulance strike caused a clash between unions and MPs over who would be held accountable for any fatalities that happened during the strike.

Unions claimed that the government was at responsible for refusing to negotiate salary, but Health Secretary Steve Barclay attributed blame for the strike to the other side because it happened at a time when the NHS was under a lot of stress.

He said unions had “taken a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients”, provoking an angry response. On Wednesday, there will be a strike in England and Wales including paramedics.

Members of the Unison, GMB, and Unite unions who work in control rooms and support positions are also involved. Ambulance workers’ unions are asking for pay hikes to keep up with the rising cost of living.

They don’t have a specific number in mind, but they contend that any offer should be sufficiently generous to avoid a hiring crisis.

Ministers assert that they will not bargain over salary because they have complied with independent pay recommendations.

Despite the fact that unions claim an ambulance will still respond to life-threatening callouts, NHS administrators have issued a warning that patient safety cannot be guaranteed during the strike.

They contend that lengthy wait times, which are made worse by a lack of staff, already put patients at risk.

Ambulance unions, according to Mr. Barclay, deliberately want to hurt patients and make emergency planning more challenging.

He claimed that unions had refused to collaborate with the federal government on how they would answer emergency calls while on strike.

Unison said it was “utterly shocked” by the comments, while the GMB union said they were “insulting”.

Mr. Barclay later told Media ambulance unions had chosen to strike at a time “when the system is already facing very significant pressure” from increased flu and Covid admissions.

Asked who would be responsible for any deaths during the industrial action, he said: “It is the trade unions who are taking this action at a point of maximum pressure for the NHS.”

But the unions disagreed with Mr. Barclay’s assertions.

Sharon Graham, head of Unite, said the blame for the strikes “lies squarely at the door of the government”.

She accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the worst “abdication of leadership” she had seen in 25 years, by refusing to negotiate on pay.

Christina McAnea, head of Unison, said the health secretary had “never specifically asked Unison for a national contingency agreement” and had acknowledged local unions had negotiated “detailed, appropriate plans for their areas”.

She has previously stated that the government’s refusal to engage in discussions is “certainly” to blame for any deaths that occur during the strikes.

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