What MailOnline readers REALLY think about today’s ambulance strike
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Ambulance workers are out on strike today in an ongoing protest over pay and conditions.
Up to 25,000 ambulance staff, including NHS paramedics and emergency call handlers, will will stage walk outs.
This follows similar strike action that took place in the run up to Christmas.
Today’s disruption was organised by the unions GMB and Unison, who have demanded the Government pay workers more amid the cost-of-living crisis.
MailOnline readers were today asked if they support the striking NHS ambulance workers. Here’s 20 of the best-rated comments…
Answers to MailOnline’s poll as of 11.40pm GMT today
NHS data showed that ambulances record delays when handing over patients to A&E departments in the week to January 1. More than a quarter (18,720) were forced to queue for more than 60 minutes before handing over their patients to A&E (shown in graph)
Poll
Do YOU support the striking NHS ambulance workers? Vote here and tell us why…
- Support the strikes 3705 votes
- Do not support the strikes 9669 votes
- Don’t know 156 votes
No I don’t agree with them striking. They’re just bandwagon jumping. In fact they’re well paid already. The Conned, Fox, United Kingdom
I have great admiration for them. But they are not badly paid. Wendyquay, Somewhere in Scotland, United Kingdom
No 100%. The NHS itself is the problem. It can’t be resolved by giving it more and more and more. They can resolve their own problems with the enormous amount of money they already get. RH6mre2, The South, United Kingdom
Compared to many other jobs I believe they are paid adequately. But then this is not about pay. It is nothing but political. Many unions striking together just want to bring the government down. So I am glad the government are retaliating by bringing in new strike laws. Acestrike, Leicester, United Kingdom
Personally I have never supported strikes. The simple truth is that they are counterproductive. Even if the strikers demands are achieved in the short term, serious damage is done to reputations and the finances of the organisation or company. There will be a price to pay later in terms of job security and investment. Shed13, Swindon, United Kingdom
No, absolutely not. They’ve had two raises of 3% and 4% in the last two years and the NHS has had more cash injected in the last few years than ever before. Nurses are quite reasonably paid already and they get a very generous pension, far better than most people. Andy, Manchester
No I don’t support any of the strikes and urge the government to stand firm DaileyDel, Leicester, United Kingdom
Absolutely. The money available should go to them first, long before the overpaid train drivers! Jock Tamson, The Athens of the North, United Kingdom
No, I don’t. They took an oath to assist those in serious predicaments and striking is a dereliction of duty. Even if they didn’t take the oath nobody should be left in pain to potentially die. Hans.Muller, Hanover
Graphic shows the average response times for Category 1, 2, 3 and 4 calls to ambulance services across England (left), and, right, the average response time for each call (red) compared to the target response time (blue) across all services
I’m at a loss to understand why ambulance personnel, train drivers and nurses are supposed to be the only ones hit by the cost of living? Especially when they are all pretty well paid to start with. Gobsmacked, Kent somewhere, United Kingdom
No I never support strikes. If you are unhappy in your job, change it.. Crochetcrafter, Colechester, United Kingdom
No – do another job if you don’t like the pay and conditions. Mark from Manchester, Manchester
Good companies with good management don’t strike as they don’t need to strike G.P.Cody, London, United Kingdom
Absolute not. The NHS is over funded as it is. It needs to stop wasting OUR money. Cut out the non jobs and wokism. TheUnbeliever, Bromsgrove, United Kingdom
The ambulance service has been hopeless for years and they dont deserve more money. 5 years ago my 92 year old mother fell outside and had to lay on concrete for 5 hours after we called an ambulance. An elderly neighbour of ours fell 4 years ago on a frosty winter night and lay on concrete for 6 hours waiting fir an ambulance with a broken shoulder. A neighbour died this week after falling outside and being told there was a 36 hour wait for an ambulance! Penny, East Anglia, United Kingdom
This NHS service needs complete reform, with an independent efficiency review Im positive (from what friends who work in the service tell me) that we could identify savings that would enable us to review wages. The levels of management have not kept step with the flatter management structures now found in industry. The police and fire service should also be reviewed, why do we need sergeants, inspectors, chief inspectors, superintendents, chief superintendents, ACCs and chief constables? Somebody has to grasp the nettle and tackle the nationalised businesses that are holding us back. However with our current crop of politicians I wont be holding my breath. Mike_C, Manchester, United Kingdom
They should get the people of Dragons Den to sort out the N H S . Get rid of over paid and under productive management. There’s bound to be many levels that are not needed. It’s such a waste There’s more management than front line staff and the money could go to them . Michael D Webb, Warrington, United Kingdom
No. I do hope they get a ‘fair’ pay rise, but never in 44 years of continuous employment, did I ever feel the need to go on strike! I always left and / or got a better job, or worked overtime to support my family. Why can’t they? Snorkylll, CryBabyRemoanLand, United Kingdom
Don’t like doing the job or feel you’re under paid?…….Go and try your hand at another job then. No one is holding a gun to their heads. I guarantee that if you left and went to work in a warehouse or a factory on minimum wage you’d soon go running back. Pennykid27, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
In the days when people saw work in teaching, medicine, and caring as a vocation, ideals would have come before the politics behind the current wave of strikes. Disgruntled dinosaur, Cardiff, United Kingdom
In other related news…
Health secretary Steve Barclay accuses ambulance unions of putting patients at risk with chaotic plans for handling emergencies during strikes – as Brits are told to use their ‘common sense’ and only ring 999 for a ‘life or limb’ emergency
Only call an ambulance for a ‘life or limb’ emergency, public are warned as 999 crew begin latest strike that ‘will bring even MORE disruption than the previous walkout’
‘It’s worse than Ukraine’: Doctor says hospitals are so overrun they are struggling more than medical centres in warzone