The public is being urged not to get drunk as ambulance strikes threaten severe disruption to services.
NHS advice calls on people to take “sensible steps” to keep themselves and others safe and out of A&E departments.
Prof Stephen Powis, the NHS medical director, said “drinking responsibly” and checking up on the elderly were key ways to reduce the pressures on hospitals.
“People can help by taking sensible steps to keep themselves and others safe during this period and not ending up in A&E, whether that is drinking responsibly or checking up on a family member or neighbour who may be particularly vulnerable to make sure they are OK,” he said.
The GMB, Unison and Unite unions – which represent around 25,000 ambulance workers – are walking out in a coordinated strike on Wednesday involving paramedics, call handlers and emergency care assistants at 10 of the 11 trusts in England and Wales in a dispute over pay.
A further strike by members of the GMB union at nine trusts will take place on Dec 28. The timing of the walkouts will vary between each union and ambulance service, with some on strike for 24 hours.
Health leaders have warned that they cannot guarantee patient safety during this “very dangerous time”.
Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of NHS Confederation, told the BBC: “We never want to alarm people, but we have reached the stage where our leaders feel it’s necessary to say they cannot guarantee patient safety, they cannot avoid risks as these strikes unfold.
“We are particularly concerned about the ambulance workers’ strike, but we’re concerned about the possibility of further strikes.
“We need to make clear that we’re entering into a very dangerous time, and this is why we’re upping even more our call to the Government and to the trade unions to try to find a way of solving this dispute and helping us get through the winter.”
It comes after Will Quince, the health minister, called on the public to avoid any “risky activity” during the strikes.
“There will be disruption to the service and it is important that, where people are planning any risky activity, I would strongly encourage them not to do so because there will be disruption on the day,” he told Times Radio on Tuesday morning.
He later said that examples of “risky activity” include taking part in contact sports or making unnecessary car journeys.
Asked if people should drive a car during the strike, he told the BBC: “If there are unnecessary journeys I would say don't, no.
“Would I go running tomorrow if it was still icy? No I wouldn't, because that would encompass additional risk. I'm saying people should take extra care in the knowledge that there is going to be disruption to emergency services.”
Mr Quince added that 750 armed forces personnel will play “an important role” in helping keep Britons safe during the strikes, but noted that they will not be allowed to jump red lights or turn on blue lights when driving ambulances.
He said health trusts were “block booking taxis” to get patients to A&E, but stressed that people should make their own way to hospital where possible.
It came as Pat Cullen, the head of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), insisted the walkout of medical staff would be safe.
She also hinted that the union was prepared to drop its 19 per cent pay rise demand, which ministers have said is “totally unaffordable”.
The Government has refused to discuss the pay demands of nurses and ambulance workers, saying it had accepted an average four per cent rise recommended by the independent NHS Pay Review Body.
Ms Cullen said the RCN wanted a deal and was prepared to compromise in order to avoid the need for more strikes.
But she warned that, if the Government failed to make a better offer, even more health workers were likely to join the walkout in the New Year.
“Any disruption to a health service that’s as fragile as ours is something that this Government really needs to take a long hard look at,” she said. “This is for the Prime Minister to ask himself why nurses are about to do this for the second time in their history.
“For every patient that has their care disrupted today as a consequences of the nursing strike, we are truly sorry for that.”
But Ms Cullen insisted the RCN would not be getting involved in any wider plans for a general strike in the New Year.
“We are not going to be coordinating strikes and have not coordinated strikes with any of the unions,” she said.
“We would negotiate with the Government – again, we won’t dig in if they don’t dig in. But we have no opportunity to do that because we can’t get to a table to talk to the Government.”
