Ambulance drivers strike: what ‘risky’ activity will you be avoiding then?

I think the activity carrying the most risk these days is 'voting conservative'

Having an opinion on here that doesn't quite fit with certain left of center posters, that and bungee jumping.

I’m still undecided over auto-asphyxiation

Nah, I'm still game for a spicy danger ham shank. Probably won't ride at the same time though, I'll keep it old school.

Louise?

This would apply under normal Tory times.

We were already at the crippled service stage long before the strikes.

I will simply avoid going into my town centre like normal at Xmas.

Having just dropped a chopping board on my foot whilst washing up and then cut my finger opening a new CD I’ve decided to go to bed and not get up till we have a labour govt.

Ambulance Drivers?

I'll be avoiding visiting England or Wales.

Having just dropped a chopping board on my foot whilst washing up and then cut my finger opening a new CD I’ve decided to go to bed and not get up till we have a labour govt.

Sleep well king. See you in a couple of years, jealous of the banging mega-nap you're about to have. 🤘

I’ll be avoiding visiting England or Wales.

😂

See this a lot. Glad someone else did.

Ambulance Drivers?

Highly skilled paramedics surely.

Driving

Damn, I’ve got some logs to chop. Might get one of the kids to do it instead. Safety first and all that.

been to see my uncle today, his son is the boss at yorkshire air ambulance and paramedics.
told me that with the army taking over the driving on strike days, that they were not allowed to drive on blues and two's. or to drive over speed limit.
i reckon stress levels will be off the scale.

Yup or diagnose many conditions, treat them, administer drugs, refer to alternative care or leave at home and can’t Recognise Life Extinct.

I particularly loved this from the Guardian piece

Health chiefs made the remarkable intervention of asking people to avoid getting drunk during the strike, four days before Christmas, as the potential for disruption in transporting people to hospital is so severe

Good luck with that! 😂

Drac - apologies for my incorrect and thoroughly inaccurate job description.,

I'm going to resist telling one of the sales staff to stop touching his cock while he's talking to me. I did my best today to ignore it, but then when he followed me into my room and still had his hands down his pyjamas*, that was the last straw and I had a little outburst.

*Yes Christmas pyjamas are suitable attire for a workplace these days.

I thought this was all sorted with 1200 troops coming in to cover the nation and hospital's being told to clear beds 🤣

Wrap yourselves in bubble wrap at midnight!

i reckon stress levels will be off the scale.

Welcome to the NHS!

Yup or diagnose many conditions, treat them, administer drugs, refer to alternative care or leave at home and can’t Recognise Life Extinct.

Poor level of scab labour you get these days.

Is there anybody down south who can keep a close eye on WCA over the next few days?

I think if you live in certain parts of the country you should have been avoiding ‘risky’ situations for the last 6-12 months

My local Hospital Trust has approximately 50 ambulances waiting outside it today and that’s unfortunately not that unusual

This is why nurses and ambulance crews are striking tomorrow.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/telford/2022/12/20/critical-incidents-declared-at-the-royal-shrewsbury-and-princess-royal-hospitals/

Getting out of bed in the middle of the night.

crossing the streams, Maddie on Traitors reckons more people die having a shit than anything else, so i shall be avoiding prunes and strong black coffee, and moving to a diet exclusively of eggs and co-codamol

i would love that sunak ****er to slip on ice a put his back out. and then to be stuck in a ambulance for 14 hours, with a pi55ed off squaddie driver for company.

C'mon folks. Let's not denigrate the servicemen and women who have been told to step in. They'll do their absolute best I'm sure. There'll also be a lot less crap taken from pissheads after midnight.

Haha do you think the rich swine would be using the NHS? Private all the way for that arse.

critical incident declared at ours today - clearing beds, my arse; we're neck-deep in the rising shit

C’mon folks. Let’s not denigrate the servicemen and women who have been told to step in. They’ll do their absolute best I’m sure. There’ll also be a lot less crap taken from pissheads after midnight.

No one is. Just pointing out they can’t replace highly trained and skilled staff with unqualified squaddies.

Yeah went into critical yesterday afternoon. Not sure if it’s even been lifted yet.

Think I'll listen to what my mum used to tell me and give up running with scissors for the foreseeable.

I wouldn't be too concerned about caving. The rescue teams are all volunteers and we have our own ambulances so would get you to a hospital pdq. Likewise Mountain Rescue. You would be far more likely to have issues if you tripped in the high street.

A lot of tasteless comments on this thread.

I fully support the strikes and amazing work that the NHS does, in spite of some of the media.

I've been in hospital visiting my nan and I can see the ambulances cued up in S****horpe, and it's not getting better.

The government needs to start doing the job it's neglected to do for the the last ten years.

Christmas shoppings off then..
👍👍👍

Just pointing out they can’t replace highly trained and skilled staff with unqualified squaddies.

of course you can you ‘orrible little man! You won’t get the same outcome, but so be it. “Some of you may die, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make” A.Tory.

I’ve postponed my chainsaw juggling practice until Thursday. I do, however have a dental checkup.

Just don't do what Tom Cruise is doing in his latest movie stunt like riding bike over the cliff.

No strike in Scotland so I'm going to throw myself down the stairs

Highly skilled paramedics surely

Of varying skill levels and grades, but all drive ambulances, soooo… <\devilsadvocatemode>

I remember being called a first aider with a driving license by Jeremy Clarkson 15 years ago, and Tory government ministers regularly call us drivers when they want to belittle the profession.

Ken Clark in 1989 called paramedics ’glorified taxi drivers’. Classy.

What everyone should be avoiding really is one of the most dangerous daily activities almost all of us do: drive. I really wouldn't want to have a serious crash today!

I’m going to resist telling one of the sales staff to stop touching his cock while he’s talking to me.

I'm presuming you don't work in a poultry dealership?

Ken Clark in 1989 called paramedics ’glorified taxi drivers’. Classy.

That’s fine, as long as he accepts he’s just a glorified tobacconist

Anyone risking going out on their bike today then?

Anyone risking going out on their bike today then?

Yes

Yesterday the trust my wife works at (ACP in ED) had at 7am when she arrived- 188 people in the dept with another 74 waiting to be seen. Ambulances stacked 3 deep outside.
That was not an abnormal situation nowadays.
She tells me of patients seeing out their whole stays in hospital of 1-3 days without leaving ED.
She also reckons that most days, there are more patients in ED awaiting admission than there are people waiting outside in ambulances so if they actually did something about patient flow the issue would be dramatically reduced.
In answer to the actual thread, I’ll be avoiding talking to a couple of people I know for fear of assaulting them because of their right wing, Tory opinions.

Tomorrow I'm getting on a plane (very safe, apparently) and flying into the UK (very unsafe) but I'm going to Glasgow which is probably one the safest places in the UK at the moment.

I haven't been back since 2017. Has much changed?

Is there anybody down south who can keep a close eye on WCA over the next few days?

I'm concerned he's not posted on the thread yet.....

Anyone risking going out on their bike today then?

Yes. Same as I did on 07/07/2005 when they implemented the same kind of dispatch protocol.

I'm in two minds about the concept of 'Lets not do something that may result in actually needing the help of those out on strike'

To me, striking is generally due to something that leaves said strikers feeling aggrieved about their current role - that is highlighted more so when the job they are striking from needs them.

Clearly it's a delicate and in many respects stupid decision to do something that may result in serous injury - knowing there is a strike in one of the sectors you may well need to call on - but, in principal (and imho of course) the best support Joe Public can give striking people is to call on their services when they are out striking.

Ken Clark in 1989 called paramedics ’glorified taxi drivers’. Classy.

I remember that well, I was in the ambulance service then. He came to our HQ at the time, he was an Ok guy to talk to, but yes that comment went down well. Ir was also a very different profession then.

remember being torn to shreds on here 2002-3 when fire service went on strike.....hey ho

No one is. Just pointing out they can’t replace highly trained and skilled staff with unqualified squaddies.

The bit that winds me up is that all over the news they're talking about these 1200 Troops but no one has compared them to how many ambulance crews they'd actually be covering for.

Note - 1200 troops over a 24 hour shift is at most 300 crews at any one time, and there are 450 'emergency' ambulances just in London.

Think I’ll listen to what Tim used tells me and give up running with scissors for the foreseeable.

Ftfy

The bit that winds me up is that all over the news they’re talking about these 1200 Troops but no one has compared them to how many ambulance crews they’d actually be covering for.

Note – 1200 troops over a 24 hour shift is at most 300 crews at any one time, and there are 450 ’emergency’ ambulances just in London.

Exactly.

There are only 1200 troops because they have to pay £4k per day each for them.

If they had sorted the pay out earlier, they could have saved that, and much of what they pay for agency nurses.

When they say 'troops', my mate is one of them and he's not a squaddie. He's a fully trained medic

He is very far from happy about the situation, but he's most definitely on the side of the Ambulance staff

So how about: "No car, no gnar, no getting absolutely shitfaced"?

Is that catchy enough?

Haha do you think the rich swine would be using the NHS? Private all the way for that arse.

Don’t think there’s a private a@e thou unless you’re really rich and have your own crash team , anaesthetist and private operating theatre wiv staff.

Ready to transplant your brain into your replacement cyborg body.

I wouldn’t want to be walking anywhere near Spurs’ training ground.

The bit that winds me up is that all over the news they’re talking about these 1200 Troops but no one has compared them to how many ambulance crews they’d actually be covering for.

Note – 1200 troops over a 24 hour shift is at most 300 crews at any one time, and there are 450 ’emergency’ ambulances just in London.

TBH there’s a certain type of voter that gets a Hardon when the troops get mentioned.

But yep it’s a total farce,we unfortunately really need a big name to have a terrible accident and be stuck in the back of an ambulance or not responded too to hammer home the damage that has been inflicted on the NHS/ambulance service over the years.

When they say ‘troops’, my mate is one of them and he’s not a squaddie. He’s a fully trained medic

No doubt he’s not the only one but their skill set isn’t the same as Paramedics.

I'll be avoiding swans, if at all possible

I'm not saying for a minute that they are Drac. I don't think they're comparable at all

I was more making the point that he's not happy about being drafted in to cover for what is essentially a government completely abdicating its duty and responsibility, leaving ambulance staff (and nurses) with little choice. Theres no question who he blames for this mess

😂 @joshvegas

So how about: “No car, no gnar, no getting absolutely shitfaced”?

No car, No gnar, no lagaaar....

I was more making the point that he’s not happy about being drafted in to cover for what is essentially a government completely abdicating its duty and responsibility, leaving ambulance staff (and nurses) with little choice. Theres no question who he blames for this mess

Yeah they have little say in it.

remember being torn to shreds on here 2002-3 when fire service went on strike…..hey ho

Well the obvious difference is that in 2002-3 Labour were in government.

The belief that people should accept from a Labour government what they would never accept from a Tory government is surprisingly widespread.

Don’t think there’s a private a@e thou

Yet....

Anyone want to crowd fund / kick start this?

Full private A&E with post care ICU & wards, start off in London and then follow up in the other leading UK cities, accept NHS ambulance patients as well as your own private ambulance fleet, cater for the 1% of the population and if trade is poor accept NHS work.

... it's only a matter of time. This is the path we're blindly being led down.

Well the obvious difference is that in 2002-3 Labour were in government.

The belief that people should accept from a Labour government what they would never accept from a Tory government is surprisingly widespread.

From what I recall it was more the case that people were waning that the FBU leader was a delusional leader, that the public would soon turn against them when the world carried on. Public support will fall quickly for us too once the price start with the vial hatred towards anyone making a stance. I’m staggered by the amount we are currently getting, but I suppose in part you’re right. The country as a whole seems to have had enough of the Tory party.

Eating just one more wafer-thin mint.

Bon appetit.

Their usual press lapdogs are still determined to parrot the government line and turn this into a miners strike 'enemy within' scenario

https://twitter.com/Otto_English/status/1605470549559459841?s=20&t=6qrPICmfHt_ZPNetFNyU6g

I really like that Sun headline - it provides its readers with a very timely reminder of just how reassuringly important emergency provisions are to their everyday lives.

There are only 1200 troops because they have to pay £4k per day each for them.

Wooden Dollars, but moving £4.8m for each day from the NHS budget to the MOD budget seems an odd move - or is it moving somewhere else...

Don’t get drunk: UK govt urges caution amid ambulance strike

https://apnews.com/article/british-politics-health-business-strikes-6535ebe5544e1bbe4d0a2240a8756f13

I don't get this 'don't get drunk because there is an ambulance strike' advice.

Get drunk tomorrow or the day after because there will be an ambulance to take you to A&E if you need one?

Get drunk tomorrow or the day after because there will be an ambulance to take you to A&E if you need one?

The solution to this is obvious, get drunk in A&E.

The don’t drink nonsense is just propaganda. The advice should be don’t have a stroke. Don’t have a cardiac arrest. And not limited to strike days. Or the government can negotiate on pay and conditions in the short term, and publish and fund a plan to sort staff shortages in the medium and longer term.

I won't be reading the right wing press. My blood pressure is already high enough.

I’d keep away from Kevin McKenzie’s tweet then DrJ.

@Drac - further to my earlier comment on this thread, are A&E and/or ambulance services ever cross-border?

Everything we can.

We have a friend who's and Ambulance driver / paramedic. We've watched her pull 14hr continuous shifts eating sandwiches at the wheel, and receiving continues abuse because the crew is "late" for about 4 years now, its beyond disgrace how they are treated/expected to work.

We even picked up a de-fib machine she left at a house in our street for her and met her on a shout because she had less time to divert and retrieve it than she needed to respond to all the calls. In her words - she can manually provide cardiac treatment if the patient is still alive because she hasn't diverted on the route, therefore the decision was to leave the machine. Jesus.

Yeah. They help each other out where the demand or location is better suited for another to respond. Hospital wise if there’s little difference between the journey time then a patient may go over the border for treatment, if they live there or have on going treatment.

Keeping up with events in the UK from the safe vantage point of southern Europe, it's difficult to fathom just how bad it's got/getting.

No car, No gnar, no lagaaar….

No car, No gnar, no visits to the bar.

I'm interested to see how effective the government line plus RW press propaganda actually is this time.

Do we really think they can make the narrative stick this time?