Ambulance Service in Yorkshire have been affected as members of the UNISON union took part in industrial action asking for a proper pay rise.
Ambulance staff will be on strike from 10am to 10pm on Friday across Yorkshire including Sheffield.
Unison is urging the government to “stop pretending the strikes will simply go away and act decisively to end the dispute by improving pay”.
Unison warns it will announce further strike dates running into March. By then, the dispute is likely to affect double the number of trusts and extend to the whole of the ambulance service in England, says the union.
Union members picketing outside the Middlewood Ambulance Station on Friday morning had set up banners and lit small fires.
They were waving flags with the slogan: “If our pay doesn’t rise, we will.” Many cars passing by honked to support their striking action.
Dean Shaw, a paramedic at the Middlewood Ambulance Station said: “Why do we need a pay rise? Doesn’t everybody need a pay rise? My standard of living has gone down over the last 10 years, it’s ridiculous.
“We haven’t had a pay rise for 10 years. It’s always been under inflation for over 10 years now. I’m not able to do stuff I used to be able to do 10 years ago, like holidays, etc.”, he added.
Speaking when the strike was announced in January, Sara Gorton, the head of health from Unison said: “Ministers must stop fobbing the public off with promises of a better NHS, while not lifting a finger to solve the staffing emergency staring them in the face.
“There can be no health service without the staff to run it. Ministers must open proper talks to end the dispute and put in place the urgent retention plan needed to boost pay and staffing across the NHS.”
However the Health Secretary Steve Barclay has so far refused to renegotiate this year’s pay deal.
The industrial action will impact on urgent and emergency care services, including front line ambulance services.
NHS England is asking patients to use services wisely during industrial action.
Patients should only call 999 if it is a medical or mental health emergency (when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk).
Ambulances will still be able to respond in these situations, but this may only be where there is an immediate risk to life.
Mr Shaw said: “We are responding from the picket lines, if anybody needs us, we’ll go. So no matter what the general media says, it’s not true. We are responding.”
Some people attending Sheffield Royal Hallamshire Hospital on Friday said they supported the strike action and the NHS staff.
Lewis Hodgkinson, 28, said: “As a patient, I absolutely support the strike.
“I think they work very hard and I think they deserve a pay rise. I think as disruptive as striking can be, it’s necessary.”
April Shaw, 61, said she definitely supported the paramedics: “I think they’re very hard working these ambulance people. and they need more money.
“I don’t think it affects patient service. We stayed out as a couple for a month together through COVID and everything, they deserve more salary.”