PARAMEDICS and emergency care assistants in Dorset are going on strike today.

Unison union members from across Dorset - including Weymouth and Dorchester ambulance stations - will be taking industrial action between noon and midnight.

Members of sister union GMB are also set to strike for 24 hours today and will also strike on December 28.

Unions say critical calls will still be answered.

South Western Ambulance Service has also stressed that it has worked with employees in Dorset to agree sufficient cover for members who are striking.
The strikes are part of an ongoing dispute with the Government about pay as well as staff retention and patient safety.

A spokesperson for Unison said: “This is not something that these members do lightly.

“This is a last-ditch attempt to get the Government to listen, to come back to the table and talk about pay.”

The union has announced that, despite paramedics being on the picket line in Bournemouth, they will still take critical calls from the picket line if the circumstances are “serious life-threatening situations”.

A statement from the NHS wrote: “Patients should continue to call 999 if anyone requires life-saving care with ambulance services prioritising the most clinically urgent cases.

"If it is not life-threatening you may have to wait longer than usual for an ambulance.

“The NHS is also asking the public to play their part by taking simple steps during industrial action to look after themselves, loved ones and checking in on vulnerable family members and neighbours.

“People can help by taking sensible measures to keep themselves and others safe during this period by not ending up in A&E  such as drinking responsibly or stocking up on their medication.”

The Unison spokesperson said: “The crews are absolutely aware of the situation of the NHS and the worry people have, they live and breathe it every day. This is about safeguarding for the future and making sure there is a better system in place.”

If a resolution cannot be reached, Unison is preparing further strike action for January 11, where more picket lines could be organised.

Nurses and hospital staff are also preparing to strike nationwide, however Dorset hospitals will be unaffected after none of the hospitals passed the voting threshold for industrial action.