Minister: Unions are harming patients

HEALTH Secretary Steve Barclay has accused trade unions of making a "conscious decision" to "inflict harm" on patients as thousands of ambulance staff walked out on the first of two one-day strikes.

Mr Barclay urged the public to take "extra care" after last ditch talks with the unions failed to avert planned industrial action by around 25,000 staff in England and Wales.

As NHS leaders warned they could not guarantee patient safety, the unions angrily accused the Government of putting lives at risk by refusing to engage with them on the issue of pay.

But writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Barclay said: "We now know that the NHS contingency plans will not cover all 999 calls.

"Ambulance unions have made a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients."

Union leaders insisted there would still be cover for the most serious calls through a series of local agreements.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said claims many serious calls would receive no response were "misleading" and "at worst deliberately scaremongering" by ministers.

Christina McAnea, the Unison general secretary, said that if there were any deaths during the strike it would "absolutely" be the fault of the Government.