Sussex ambulance staff strike: Military called in as trust declares 'critical incident'

Ambulance staff rallied outside Brighton ambulance station on Elm Grove this morning (Wednesday, December 21). A further picket line was due to be held in Durrington.

Photos from the Royal Sussex County Hospital Brighton show the military in action, supporting the few ambulance crews – helping to deliver critical patients. There is also a rare sight of A&E ramps devoid of ambulance vehicles.

The GMB Union announced last week that paramedics, emergency care assistants, call handlers and other staff will go on strike twice in the next two weeks.

South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) workers walked out at 6am today Wednesday (December 21), and will returning to work at 11.59pm. They will strike again next Wednesday (December 28), between 12.01am and 11.59pm.

SECAmb issued a statement on social media, asking people to ‘please use our services wisely today’, during the industrial action, adding: “Ambulances are still available to respond, although they will be prioritised for life-threatening calls.

"During strike action, we will continue to respond to emergencies, such as cardiac arrests, heart attacks and difficult breathing.”

Use 111, the GP or local pharmacy ‘for help with non-urgent concerns’, SECAmb advised the morning after declaring a critical incident.

A spokesperson added: “This decision was taken following a period of more than a week of sustained pressure across both our 999 and 111 services which has significantly impacted on our ability to respond to patients.

“We would like to thank all our staff and volunteers for their hard work and commitment in recent days in what continue to be extremely challenging circumstances.

“We urge the public to continue to call 999 in life-threatening emergencies as we prioritise our response to our most seriously ill and injured patients.

“People can continue to support us by seeking help and advice from alternatives including via NHS 111 Online at 111.nhs.uk, their own GP or by speaking to a pharmacist.

“Declaring a critical incident provides us with additional oversight and enables us to explore options including mutual aid, while focusing all efforts on frontline patient care.”

SECAmb said the situation will be ‘kept under close review’.

Workers across the ambulance services and some NHS Trusts voted to strike over the Government’s imposed four per cent pay award – described by the GMB as ‘another massive real terms pay cut’.

GMB representatives will now meet with all three trusts ‘to discuss requirements for life and limb cover’.

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: “Ambulance workers – like other NHS workers – are on their knees.

“Demoralised and downtrodden, they’ve faced 12 years of Conservative cuts to the service and their pay packets, fought on the frontline of a global pandemic and now face the worst cost of living crisis in a generation.

“No one in the NHS takes strike action lightly – today shows just how desperate they are.

“This is as much about unsafe staffing levels and patient safety as it is about pay. A third of GMB ambulance workers think delays they’ve been involved with have led to the death of a patient. Something has to change or the service as we know it will collapse.

“GMB calls on the Government to avoid a winter of NHS strikes by negotiating a pay award that these workers deserve.”

The GMB said more than 3,500 ambulance workers, in total, will walk out across the South Coast. South Central Ambulance Service and South West Ambulance Central Service are the other two trusts taking part.

This comes after the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) revealed that no nurses in Sussex will be taking part in strike action this month.

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