Industrial action on Wednesday 11 January

10 January 2023

You may notice activity involving ambulance staff, as industrial action takes place from 00:01am to 23:59pm on Wednesday, 11 December 2023.

It is likely that 999 call handlers will be very busy and NHS 111 call centres will have fewer staff. Longer call response times are expected across the system. As a result, we are urging anyone with non-urgent care needs to first seek medical help from NHS 111 online.

Patients should continue to call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.

Impacted organisations within Integrated Care Northamptonshire have plans to deal with disruptions, such as industrial action, and have been working in partnership to ensure emergency and urgent services are prioritised.

If you have not been contacted and told otherwise, you are advised to attend appointments as planned. This includes GP appointments, which are not impacted by this industrial action.

There will be fewer ambulances on the roads during industrial action, with the NHS prioritising those with life-threatening needs. As a result, patients whose conditions are not life-threatening are unlikely to get an ambulance on strike days.

For more information about industrial action taking place at East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), please visit the website.

For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website.