Stroke Association response to the scheduled industrial action in the health service

Ambulance workers:

It has been announced that more than 10,000 ambulance workers across England and Wales are scheduled to strike later this month over pay and conditions. Paramedics, emergency care assistants and call handlers and other staff, at some regional ambulance services will walk out on December 21st and 28th.

We are concerned that suspected stroke patients won’t know what to do and will not call 999. Stroke requires an emergency response. There will still be an ambulance service, even during the strikes. If you see the signs of stroke, you must continue to Act FAST and call 999, even during the strikes.

Stroke services have been under a lot of pressure for many years. Stroke patients are facing ambulance delays that get the average patient to hospital in nearly three times the target time.

We are concerned about hugely pressured working conditions in the NHS, staff shortages, and the retention and burnout issues affecting the current workforce. High quality stroke care relies on a sustainable workforce. We have made multiple calls for a robust workforce plan for stroke to ease the pressure on emergency services and stroke units, to give stroke patients the best possible chance of survival and a good recovery. It’s vital that the many hard-working professionals delivering stroke treatment and care feel valued and supported to deliver high-quality care to all stroke patients.

We hope that the government and ambulance and call handling staff can come to an agreement and prevent industrial action. It is essential that ambulance and call handling roles are attractive professions for the future, so that stroke patients can receive the high quality care they deserve. We look forward to seeing solutions to the stroke workforce challenges addressed in the Government’s forthcoming Workforce Strategy.

Nursing staff:

We are aware of plans for up to 100,000 nursing staff to strike on 15th and 20th December. We are reassured that contingency plans are in place to minimise the effect that this will have on acute stroke patients.

We are concerned that there will be a reduction in the number of people presenting with stroke due to not knowing how they will be received in hospital or feeling like they’d burden the NHS. Stroke requires an emergency response and if you see the signs of stroke, you must continue to call 999, even during the strikes.

Stroke is a life-threatening condition and stroke services have been under a lot of pressure for many years. There are times when just 23% of stroke units have the minimum number of nurses on duty, meaning most staff have to do extra work alongside their own. The hard work and dedication of every single person across the stroke pathway props up an under-resourced NHS. Most stroke units are missing key staff and vacancies can take over a year to fill.

We are concerned about hugely pressured working conditions in the NHS, staff shortages, and the retention and burnout issues affecting the current workforce. High quality stroke care relies on a sustainable workforce. We have made multiple calls for a robust workforce plan for stroke to ease the pressure on stroke units, to give stroke patients the best possible chance of survival and a good recovery.

We hope that the government and nursing staff can come to an agreement and prevent industrial action. It is essential that nursing is an attractive profession for the future, so that stroke patients can receive the high-quality care they deserve.