One in three paramedics joined in Shropshire health strike
Ambulance crews in Shropshire were only able to go out and treat people whose lives were under threat as it was revealed that one in three paramedics took strike action over pay.
Bosses today admitted it had been a "difficult morning" yesterday as paramedics and ambulance staff joined health workers on strike for four hours in protest at a Government decision not to give them a one per cent pay rise.
Today staff were working to rule for a week as a follow-up to yesterday's strike, banning overtime and taking all their breaks.
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At one point yesterday, West Midlands Ambulance Service tweeted that it had more than 40 calls stacked up with no-one to send to them.
The service said that despite repeated warnings, the switchboard had actually received more calls than it had for the same time period last week.
Approximately one third of ambulance crews at West Midlands Ambulance Service joined the strike.
Bosses appealed to people to only dial 999 in life-threatening situations, tweeting:
But in the four hours that the industrial action lasted, from 7am-11am, the service received 46 calls – two more than over the same period last week.
Spokesman Murray Macgregor said: "We were able to maintain our emergency coverage and we were able to get ambulances out to people with genuine life-threatening need."
Emergency calls dealt with during the strike included two patients in Telford, one who was unconscious and the other with brain injuries, another who had collapsed in Whitchurch, someone with chest pain in Oswestry and a patient who had suffered an allergic reaction in Market Drayton.
During yesterday's walkout cars sounded their horns in support of striking midwives standing on picket lines at hospitals in Shropshire – and one pensioner who claims they saved her life joined them to say thank you.
About 30 midwives picketed outside the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, with similar numbers out in force at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital and the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry
At the Royal Shrewsbury, passing cars beeped their horns as the women held a banner reading "Midwives give 100 per cent – give us one per cent".
Judy Arliss, 72, of Copthorne, went up to the picket line to show her support.
She said midwives at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital saved her life 32 years ago.
"I had been sterilised but lo and behold it was a miracle and she's nearly 32 now and she's beautiful," she said.
"But I was in and out of that hospital seven times. They saved my life. They were wonderful. They do an amazing job and I don't think they get paid enough."
Midwives, nurses, paramedics, ambulance staff, hospital porters and cleaners mounted pickets across England from 7am for four hours.
Unions are protesting at the Government's decision not to accept the independent pay review body's recommendation to award a one per cent pay rise to all staff.
Instead, ministers took the "divisive" decision to only award a one per cent pay rise for those on the top of their pay band, which unions say has denied it to two thirds of NHS workers.
The Government says the majority of staff have already been given a three per cent pay rise because of increments – and that giving the one per cent would lead to thousands of nurses being laid off.
Lorraine Morgan, 46, of Montgomery, has been a midwife at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for 24 years. She is also work place representative of The Royal College of Midwives.
She said: "We haven't had a pay rise since 2011 and all we are asking for is the one per cent that an independent pay review body recommended and said was affordable.
"Now the Government has refused to give us that one per cent. They've said that people who are at the top of their grade get a non-consolidated one per cent and that means that it doesn't go towards your pension and it's not included in your special duty payments and it will be taken off you after a year. Their argument is they can't afford it but the pay review body say we can afford it. Politicians have had their 11 per cent pay rise as recommended by an independent pay review and they accepted that. We work hard, we are well qualified and morale is really low. When morale is so low people are leaving the profession as soon as they can and we have less experienced staff."
Midwife Charlotte Griffiths, 33, of Radbrook, Shrewsbury said: "We are asking people to support us because all NHS workers work really hard. We work nights, we are on call, we work weekends, bank holidays, Christmas and we just want that to be recognised in our pay."
Picket lines were held outside the main entrance of Oswestry's orthopaedic hospital with many staff joining the line and many more taking part in the strike.
Aaron Jones, Unison representative at the hospital, said the strike action was widely supported by the branch.
