An update on industrial action on Wednesday 11 January

Further industrial action by ambulance service staff around the country is set to take place on Wednesday 11 January 2023.

UNISON members of the London Ambulance Service team are set to take part in the industrial action for 12 hours from 11am to 11pm on Wednesday 11 January. This will include staff who work on ambulances and other response vehicles, as well as staff in our Emergency Operation Centres, where 999 calls are answered and ambulances are dispatched.

As always, patients should only call 999 if it is a medical or mental health emergency, which is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

On the day of industrial action, there will be fewer ambulances on the roads and fewer staff in our control rooms triaging 999 calls. As a result, patients may find it takes longer to get through to these services. Those whose conditions are not life-threatening are unlikely to get an ambulance. Where the situation is not life-threatening, alternative support will be available through NHS111 online. Please be aware that, where possible, you may be advised to arrange alternative transport to hospital.

Like health and social care services across the city, London Ambulance Service is currently extraordinarily busy, with record numbers of urgent and emergency calls coming in and high numbers of patients waiting for an ambulance.

While the industrial action will last for a 12-hour period, LAS expects the impact on services to be felt into the following days as it works to help as many people as possible.

In a serious medical emergency, call 999. This includes unconsciousness, chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe loss of blood and choking.

If it’s urgent, but it’s not a serious medical emergency, please consider other options.

You can get support for urgent medical worries by going to NHS 111 online. This should also be your first port of call if you’re unsure what to do.

Don’t forget GPs and pharmacies can also help. Speak to a pharmacist for advice on medicines or common problems like coughs, colds and rashes.

You can go to an urgent treatment centre if you need urgent medical attention, but it’s not a life-threatening situation. Conditions that can be treated at an urgent treatment centre (also known as a walk-in centre or minor injury unit) include sprains, suspected broken limbs, cuts and grazes and minor scalds and burns.

Read more about urgent treatment centres. More information from the NHS on where to get medical help can be found on NHS.UK.