FRONTLINE NHS staff formed a picket line outside Taunton ambulance station today (Wednesday, December 21) joining a nationwide series of strikes.

Staff including paramedics and emergency care workers are striking across the country forming picket lines from around noon and a group of workers gathered outside Taunton ambulance station on Lisieux Way. 

The strikes are expected to last until midnight.

Workers went on strike to demand a pay rise in line with the current inflation, but they also said NHS staff retention and patients’ safety are among the reasons that led to the decision.

A group of workers forming the picket line said: “Our crews are still busy at the hospital. It is not unusual for us to wait four or five hours at the back of an ambulance with the same patients.

“We get paid more to be Domino’s pizza drivers than on baseline.

“The support staff are not paid enough when you can earn more in a supermarket. Pay is not good enough to stay, but it is not only about pay.

“It is also about working conditions. It is not the staff’s fault. It’s the system that is broken.”

 

Another paramedic added: “I am glad I had a day off and didn’t have to make the decision to strike.

“It is a hard decision to make. It is a difficult decision, but we know that we are providing care for the seriously ill today.”

Another worker who was striking outside the ambulance station said:
“It needs to start from the bottom of the pyramid. Discharge patients from the hospital back home. But care services are not paid enough, and money needs to be spent wisely.”

Another worker said: “I can respond on my own but it’s not an ideal situation. It happens often but it shouldn’t be like that.”

During the strike, there are exemptions in place and staff will respond to certain categories and types of calls, especially life-threatening calls.

Every ambulance service in Somerset is affected by today’s strike: Taunton, Bridgwater, Minehead, Ilminster, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Burnham-on-Sea, Frome, Yeovil, Wincanton.

Glastonbury, Frome, and Wincanton stations did not have picket lines.

 

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Our ambulance staff is incredibly dedicated to their job and it is deeply regrettable some union members are going ahead with strike action.

“My number one priority is to keep patients safe. The Government and NHS colleagues have been working to protect safe staffing levels.

“However, there will be fewer ambulances on the road due to industrial action and the NHS will be prioritising those with life-threatening needs.

“My message to the public is to take extra care tomorrow and plan your activity accordingly. You may also want to check up on more vulnerable friends, family, and neighbours.

“These are challenging times but we have accepted the recommendations of the independent NHS Pay Review Body in full, meaning most ambulance staff have received a rise of at least 4 per cent.

“This will take average earnings to about £47,000 per person.

“Further pay increases would mean taking money away from frontline services at a time when we are tackling record waiting lists as a result of the pandemic.”