The London Ambulance Service is asking for more than 300 clinicians from primary care to help cover the strike next week.
Unison has called two January strike days on the 11 and 23 January each for 24 hours and involving all ambulance employees.
It comes as the Government confirmed it would introduce legislation to require health and other key public services to maintain a minimum level of service during strike action.
Under the proposals, employers could sue unions who fail to comply with minimum service levels and a consultation is planned on what an adequate level of coverage would be for the emergency sectors.
HSJ has reported that a confidential letter has been sent to primary care staff asking for urgent support from GPs and practice nurses with worries that the impact of the strikes will be greater than that seen in December.
It follows a similar request in December when GPs in London were asked to provide clinical cover for ambulance staff during strike action.
Other practice staff such as advanced paramedics and those with urgent care experience were also sought.
But the BMA had urged staff not to step in and cover for staff on strike because that risked putting patients at harm, increasing waiting times and harming the wellbeing of already overstretched general practice teams.
The latest letter from the London Ambulance Service said: ‘The early indication from national Unison is that the categories of employees called out on 11 January 2023 will be greater this time, including control rooms and support staff,’ HSJ reported.
London ICSs have been asked to each provide dozens of experienced nurses and doctors from primary care and the service is also looking for 30 clinicians to be part of contingency ambulance crews.
GPs have previously expressed support for industrial action, ahead of nurses walking out on the 15 and 20 December.
Scabs then!
How much pay 13 pieces of silver!
truly rocky road ahead if HMG leans on ICBs to fill the gaps left by HMG austerity policies Failure of workforce planning and political dogma
@Turn out The Lights: I believe the usual amount quoted proverbially is 30 pieces of silver – though perhaps after it has been top-sliced by NHSE and London Region, and then Pensions, NI and Tax have been removed, Judas would have walked away with 13 pieces if he was lucky.
no !
not a f**king hope !!
Spend 10 hours baby sitting a single octoganrian in an A+E corridor Vs 10 hours managing 70 patients on an acute list. Where do I sign up? I’m assuming you will be paying GP rates.
This is a malicious divisive move.
Why primary care staff?
It would be better to ask city bankers or football teams to release staff to drive patients to hospitals, so that the clinical staff could man the hospitals and deal with clinical issues that city bankers cannot be expected to handle.
In London, maybe give the ambulance vehicles to taxi drivers, as they would be far more effective at getting them to hospitals appropriately than primary care staff!
I seriously suggest that our MPs and those at the top of NHS England negotiating team are all drafted in to answer the calls and see what it is like to be personally responsible.
I’m not sure that I agree with everything this chap says, but worth a watch.
You may want to share.
https://www.facebook.com/100081000847425/videos/6390490737630895
Each successful applicant will be given a badge to wear saying “I don’t support my NHS colleagues” and a certificate to bring to appraisal showing how many hours they devoted to stabbing their colleagues in the back.