Dec. 21 (UPI) — Britain’s health secretary, Will Quince, has told members of the public to avoid taking unneeded risks as tens of thousands of ambulance workers went on strike Wednesday.
“Where people are planning any risky activity, I would strongly encourage them not to do so because there will be disruption on the day,” Quince said.
The strike is the latest in a series of high-profile labor actions in Britain, which has seen collective action from nurses and railway workers in recent months. The striking ambulance workers say their salaries and working conditions have been affected by government spending cuts.
The national medical director of England’s National Health Service, Stephen Powis, advised Britons to be careful when drinking.
“It’s the season of parties, pre-Christmas, so do enjoy yourself, but obviously don’t get so drunk that you’d end up with an unnecessary [hospital] visit,” Powis said.
Some ambulance staff will remain on call for emergencies and members of the military have been trained to take on the responsibilities of striking workers.
Category 1 emergency calls, which deal with life-threatening situations like cardiac arrest, will be responded to by an ambulance but not all Category 2 calls, which can include strokes, will be responded to.
National Health Service trusts are urging people to try and arrange their own transportation to hospitals for non-critical situations.
