Ambulance workers across England are set to strike before Christmas after voting in favour of industrial action over pay and staffing levels.
The announcement by Unison came just hours after it was confirmed that up to 100,000 nursing staff will also walk out in December after rejecting a government pay offer.
Health secretary Steve Barclay has said their demands are “unaffordable”.
Unison said thousands of 999 call handlers, ambulance technicians, paramedics and their colleagues working for ambulance services in the north east, north west, London, Yorkshire and the south west are to go on strike.
Christina McAnea, the union’s general secretary, said: “The decision to take action and lose a day’s pay is always a tough call. It’s especially challenging for those whose jobs involve caring and saving lives.
“But thousands of ambulance staff and their NHS colleagues know delays won’t lessen, nor waiting times reduce, until the Government acts on wages. That’s why they’ve taken the difficult decision to strike.
“Patients will always come first and emergency cover will be available during any strike. But unless NHS pay and staffing get fixed, services and care will continue to decline.
“The public knows health services won’t improve without huge increases in staffing and wants the government to pay up to save the NHS.”
Meanwhile, members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will take industrial action on December 15 and 20.
It is the first time nurses have gone on strike in the RCN’s 100-year history.
In Scotland, the RCN has paused announcing strike action after the Scottish government reopened NHS pay negotiations.
Responding to the result of the ambulance workers’ ballot, health secretary Steve Barclay said: “I’m hugely grateful for the hard work and dedication of NHS staff and deeply regret some will be taking industrial action – which is in nobody’s best interests as we approach a challenging winter.
″Our economic circumstances mean unions’ demands are not affordable.
“We’ve prioritised the NHS with record funding and accepted the independent pay review body recommendations in full to give over one million NHS workers a pay rise of at least £1,400 this year, with those on the lowest salaries receiving an increase of up to 9.3%.
“This is on top of 3% last year when public sector pay was frozen and wider government support with the cost of living.
“Our priority is keeping patients safe during any strikes and the NHS has tried and tested plans to minimise disruption and ensure emergency services continue to operate.
:My door remains open to discuss with the unions ways we can make the NHS a better place to work.”
