With thousands of ambulance workers across the country striking today, Health Secretary Steve Barclay has urged the public to "use their common sense". Ambulance workers and paramedics are on strike over a dispute over pay and conditions.
Mr Barclay warned that the ambulance system "will be under very severe pressure today". However, he has said he will not enter negotiations over pay.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: “We’re saying to the public to exercise their common sense in terms of what activities they do, being mindful of those pressures that are on the system.”
The medical director of NHS England has warned people not to get "blind drunk" during the strikes. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) said it expected people to arrive at hospital in cars rather than ambulances.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis said today would be a "very difficult day" for the health service. He added that heart attacks and strokes would be covered.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he said: “Today is obviously going to be a very difficult day with the health service. But we’ve been working very closely with the unions to ensure that emergency services for life-threatening conditions are maintained, and that will include stroke and heart attacks.
“There are increased clinicians in call centres to ensure that the right response goes out to the right incident.”
Strokes are classed as a higher-end category 2 condition, meaning that clinicians would have to determine what response would be needed. He advised people to dial 999 if they had a life-threatening condition.
