Unison and Unite accuse Steve Barclay of lying when he accused unions of obstructing strike-day contingency planning Over on our politics blog, my colleague Andrew Sparrow has pulled together the criticism from union bosses of Steve Barclay’s accusations: Turning back to the ambulance strike, the row generated by Steve Barclay’s claim that the unions made “a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients” (see 9.19am) because they were obstructing strike-day contingency planning seems to be escalating. Christina McAnea, the Unison general secretary, posted messages on Twitter this morning saying she was shocked by the comments, but later she went further, accusing the health secretary of “a complete and utter fabrication”. Sharon Graham, the Unite general secretary, said the same thing in marginally blunter language. She said: To say that ambulance unions have taken a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients is a blatant lie. The unions have negotiated critical cover, including 999 calls, at a local level with hosts of NHS Trusts. That is how it is done. Stephen Barclay obviously doesn’t understand how these issues are dealt with in the NHS. That is an embarrassment for him and the government. He has now lost all credibility. Clearly he isn’t the man for the job. He’s well past his sell-by date. And her Unite colleague, Onay Kasab, told GB News that far from complaining about the contingency cover for strike day at their meeting yesterday, Barclay was congratulating unions for their work. Kasab said: I was at the meeting yesterday with the secretary of state, and obviously I must have been in the wrong room. Because when I thought we met with him, he clearly congratulated the trade unions for working with the trusts and for working with the government to put emergency measures in place which made sure that people were safe as possible today. And yet the statements he made this morning bear absolutely no resemblance to the meeting we were in yesterday, unfortunately. A summary of today"s developments Thousands of ambulance workers, including paramedics and call handlers, are striking in England and Wales over a pay dispute. Health secretary Steve Barclay enraged union leaders and healthcare workers by using an incendiary article in this morning’s edition of the Daily Telegraph to accuse them of making a “conscious decision” to “inflict harm” on patients. 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. Barclay subsequently denied escalating the dispute. Asked on BBC Breakfast whether his language in the Daily Telegraph was “ramping up this current atmosphere”, he said the unions involved – GMB, Unite and Unison – had “refused to work with us on a national level” compared with the Royal College of Nursing. Unite said it would meet for pay negotiations “anytime, anywhere”. Speaking on the picket line, Christina McAnea, the general secretary of Unison, accused Barclay of “complete and utter fabrication” and “fear mongering”. She warned there may be further strikes in the new year if ministers do not negotiate. Ambulance workers on the picket line shared stories of getting paid less than in call centres, and colleagues going to food banks or approaching their union’s welfare department to try to make ends meet amid the cost-of-living crisis. By 10am, the majority of ambulance trusts had declared so-called critical incidents, with many stating they were already facing huge pressure before strikes began on Wednesday. 999 calls plummeted in some areas of the country, prompting warnings from senior medics that those in need of emergency care may not be coming forward. In Scotland, midwives and nurses rejected a ‘best and final’ pay deal which could pave the way for strike action. Wales’s ambulance service said it had been “noticeably quieter” today and disruption would continue into the morning. NHS leaders warned that the fallout from strike action this week was likely to spill over into the coming days. They are especially concerned about patients whose conditions might have deteriorated due to delays in seeking help. A bus company said it is “deeply disappointed” that drivers are to stage a series of strikes in a dispute over pay. Members of Unite employed by Abellio in London will stage 11 strikes from Christmas Eve until 26 January. The NHS is bracing itself for an influx of patients between now and Christmas after thousands of people deferred seeking treatment during the ambulance workers’ strike on Wednesday, writes Denis Campbell and Kiran Stacey. Senior doctors are warning that the decision by many people in England and Wales not to request help while paramedics were staging a 24-hour stoppage will leave the NHS struggling to cope at a time when hospitals would traditionally be scaling back their services for the festive break. The warning came amid signs that ministers, dismayed that nurses and midwives in Scotland have rejected a 7.5% pay rise, now believe that there is no deal to be done with health unions and so are now preparing for a winter-long battle of wills punctuated by strikes. Thousands of ambulance workers, paramedics and others in England and Wales went on strike on Wednesday, leaving the NHS unable to respond to many 999 calls. Eight of 10 ambulance trusts in England have declared “critical incidents” due to the pressure on resources. Hospital chiefs praised the public for heeding NHS advice to avoid risky activity in case of being left helpless and unable to reach A&E, and to only ring 999 for life threatening emergencies. Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary, has tweeted this message about its industrial action. A bus company said it is “deeply disappointed” that drivers are to stage a series of strikes in a dispute over pay. Members of Unite employed by Abellio in London will stage 11 strikes from Christmas Eve until 26 January. Jon Eardley, managing director of Abellio London, said: “We urge Unite to recognise Abellio’s 12% pay deal and encourage their members to resume normal services. “The Abellio pay deal comes with no conditions and sees bus driver basic pay rise by an average of £100 per week and over £5,000 per year, bringing an established bus driver’s salary to around £40,000 per year. We also currently pay one of the highest rates in London for new bus drivers. “The pay deal will be implemented in January 2023 to ensure that all drivers benefit from a significant uplift in salary, despite Unite not allowing members the opportunity to express their views via a ballot.” The bus drivers are based at garages in Battersea, Beddington, Hayes, Southall, Twickenham and Walworth in London. Passengers travelling into the UK during a strike by Border Force staff over the holiday period should prepare for the prospect of long delays and a remote possibility that airports could close, a senior Border Force official has said. The warning comes as a senior Home Office source said soldiers and civil servants covering for striking Border Force staff would not have the skills needed to spot modern slavery victims. Steve Dann, the chief operating officer at Border Force, said the government had a “reasonable expectation” that it would be able to keep “most if not all ports open” but he would not rule out closures when staff go on strike from Friday. “Military personnel and volunteers from across the civil service have been trained to support Border Force at airports and ports over the festive period. We have a reasonable expectation that by using contingency workforce we will be able to deliver a service that keeps most if not all ports open. However, the general public should expect disruption,” he said. Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have also taken industrial action in recent days. Clint, 53, a nurse from east Yorkshire, says he will not walk out as he doesn’t want to leave his patients. He told the PA news agency he understands colleagues who do decide to strike, saying the NHS is in the worst state he has seen since joining the profession 30 years ago. Despite being a lifelong Conservative voter, he says the governing party has now lost his vote over its treatment of the NHS. “I voted Tory consistently all my life but now they re just letting us down,” he added. Analysis: NHS pay is a risky issue for Sunak to get tough about When Rishi Sunak appeared in front of parliament’s powerful liaison committee this week he doubled down on NHS pay rises in what looked very much like an attempt to turn the winter of strikes into his Thatcher moment. Just like his political heroine before him, he faced down the unions, telling MPs the country could not afford bigger public sector pay rises, warning they risked making inflation worse – and that politicians should not “cut across” the independent pay review process. The prime minister, who in recent weeks has been forced into U-turns on housebuilding targets and onshore windfarms by Tory party rebellions, appeared to see the strikes as an opportunity to prove wrong those who have accused him of being weak. He has flatly denied reports that he is preparing to climb down in his trial of strength with union leaders, warning striking workers he would hold out against their “unreasonable” pay demands for months if necessary. His ministers have accused the unions of “holding the country to ransom”, just as Thatcher did in 1979 before a Tory landslide election victory. And he has challenged the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, to back anti-strike legislation, to be brought in next year, in the belief the public will be on his side. It is a risky strategy. More than 1.5 million workers have been balloted for strike action this winter – meaning that most people will know someone taking industrial action, and can see for themselves that they are, like everybody else, struggling with the cost of living. Afternoon summary Thousands of ambulance workers in England and Wales launched a 24-hour strike action over real-terms salary cuts this morning after talks broke down with the government. Here are the key developments from today: Health secretary Steve Barclay enraged union leaders and healthcare workers by using an incendiary article in this morning’s edition of the Daily Telegraph to accuse them of making a “conscious decision” to “inflict harm” on patients. 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. Barclay subsequently denied escalating the dispute. Asked on BBC Breakfast whether his language in the Daily Telegraph was “ramping up this current atmosphere”, he said the unions involved – GMB, Unite and Unison – had “refused to work with us on a national level” compared with the Royal College of Nursing. Unite said it would meet for pay negotiations “anytime, anywhere”. Speaking on the picket line, Christina McAnea, the general secretary of Unison, accused Barclay of “complete and utter fabrication” and “fear mongering”. She warned there may be further strikes in the new year if ministers do not negotiate. Ambulance workers on the picket line shared stories of getting paid less than in call centres, and colleagues going to food banks or approaching their union’s welfare department to try to make ends meet amid the cost-of-living crisis. By 10am, the majority of ambulance trusts had declared so-called critical incidents, with many stating they were already facing huge pressure before strikes began on Wednesday. 999 calls plummeted in some areas of the country, prompting warnings from senior medics that those in need of emergency care may not be coming forward. In Scotland, midwives and nurses rejected a ‘best and final’ pay deal which could pave the way for strike action. Wales’s ambulance service said it had been “noticeably quieter” today and disruption would continue into the morning. NHS leaders warned that the fallout from strike action this week was likely to spill over into the coming days. They are especially concerned about patients whose conditions might have deteriorated due to delays in seeking help. NHS leaders warn the fallout from strike action will continue tomorrow The fallout from strike action this week is likely to spill over into the coming days, NHS leaders have warned. PA reports that the membership organisation for NHS hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services, NHS Providers, has voiced concerns specifically around patients whose conditions might have deteriorated due to delays in seeking help. Saffron Cordery, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said: Leaders across the NHS also know that as this week’s strike action draws to a close, the disruption is far from over. The fallout from strike action is likely to spill over into the coming days due to the knock-on impact across different parts of the health and care system, the need to reschedule elective and outpatient appointments, and the anticipation of a return to very high numbers of emergency calls. There is particular concern about patients who may have delayed seeking care – and whose conditions have deteriorated – now coming forward for treatment. Some health leaders and staff have felt “a sense of helplessness and moral injury” amid strike action, NHS Providers said, as the organisation appealed for “urgent, serious talks – including on pay” to be held between the government and unions to avert further industrial action. Cordery added: Despite their best efforts, we have also heard reports of leaders and their staff feeling a sense of helplessness and moral injury at not being able to help everyone who needs the NHS and the care it provides. This is distressing and a reflection of the enormous pressure NHS staff are under, the standard to which they hold themselves, and the quality of care they want to give patients. Trust leaders will learn from the events of this week to strengthen plans for next week’s strike action by ambulance workers. They do of course understand how strongly nurses and ambulance staff feel and why below-inflation pay awards against a backdrop of the rising cost of living, severe staff shortages and ever-increasing workloads have brought them to take strike action this week. They are once again reiterating their call for urgent, serious talks – including on pay – between health ministers and unions to avert more strikes in the future. An anaesthetist has tweeted that he’s seen “strong backing from the public” for striking healthcare staff today. On the 13th floor of his hospital, he says he can hear cars frequently honking in support and cheers from picketing nurses. Wales"s ambulance service chief says it has been "noticeably quieter" for ambulances The Guardian’s reporter in Wales, Steven Morris, has the latest on the situation for the ambulance service in Wales: Jason Killens, the chief executive of the service in Wales, said that during Wednesday’s day shift about half of ambulance crews have worked normally. A quarter were on complete strike. The final quarter were responding only to red and some of the most serious amber 1 callouts. Some call handlers in the 111 service also took strike action. He said fewer people had dialled 999 – and there were fewer delays outside accident and emergency departments. Killens said: Activity has been down – it is noticeably quieter … We’ve been very clear with hospitals that we needed them to turn the fleet round quicker and they heeded that. I suspect they’ve moved patients through, allowed more patients in emergency departments, more patients in other parts of the hospital. We’ve seen better handover times. There’ll be disruption into tomorrow morning. Normal service should be resumed by the day shift tomorrow – 7am. There are no obvious cases of severe harm or death. The Guardian’s video team have put together footage of picket lines and interviews with union organisers. You can watch here: Rod Dacombe, who worked for the ambulance service during the pandemic, has written a piece for the Guardian, voicing his support for his erstwhile colleagues, saying the government’s strategy to turn the public against striking healthcare workers is “electorally perilous”. He writes: In stark contrast to Johnson’s rhetoric during the pandemic, the government’s response has so far involved stonewalling on the question of pay and deflecting the blame for patient harm on to striking workers. This approach has been echoed and bolstered by craven attacks from the rightwing commentariat – former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie described striking ambulance workers as ‘vile shitbags’. But, as I know well from my current academic work, these positions are not only out of step with public sentiment (a recent poll suggested almost two-thirds of Britons support the striking ambulance staff), they also ignore recent history. The last ambulance strike, in 1989, continued for several months, and caused extreme hardship for those involved. It ended because, to the surprise of the government at the time, public sentiment remained steadfastly behind frontline ambulance workers. Attempts to turn the tide of opinion against NHS staff failed miserably, and it seems remarkable that the current government looks set to repeat the same mistakes at a time when its own position is so electorally perilous. The Guardian’s graphics team have produced this handy interactive showing all the days when strikes are planning in December – useful for preparing, and also assessing just how widespread frustration with pay is. Unison and Unite accuse Steve Barclay of lying when he accused unions of obstructing strike-day contingency planning Over on our politics blog, my colleague Andrew Sparrow has pulled together the criticism from union bosses of Steve Barclay’s accusations: Turning back to the ambulance strike, the row generated by Steve Barclay’s claim that the unions made “a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients” (see 9.19am) because they were obstructing strike-day contingency planning seems to be escalating. Christina McAnea, the Unison general secretary, posted messages on Twitter this morning saying she was shocked by the comments, but later she went further, accusing the health secretary of “a complete and utter fabrication”. Sharon Graham, the Unite general secretary, said the same thing in marginally blunter language. She said: To say that ambulance unions have taken a conscious choice to inflict harm on patients is a blatant lie. The unions have negotiated critical cover, including 999 calls, at a local level with hosts of NHS Trusts. That is how it is done. Stephen Barclay obviously doesn’t understand how these issues are dealt with in the NHS. That is an embarrassment for him and the government. He has now lost all credibility. Clearly he isn’t the man for the job. He’s well past his sell-by date. And her Unite colleague, Onay Kasab, told GB News that far from complaining about the contingency cover for strike day at their meeting yesterday, Barclay was congratulating unions for their work. Kasab said: I was at the meeting yesterday with the secretary of state, and obviously I must have been in the wrong room. Because when I thought we met with him, he clearly congratulated the trade unions for working with the trusts and for working with the government to put emergency measures in place which made sure that people were safe as possible today. And yet the statements he made this morning bear absolutely no resemblance to the meeting we were in yesterday, unfortunately. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has tweeted to say London ambulance workers are ‘very busy’ today, but ‘working hard to ensure those facing life-threatening emergencies receive the care they need’. He affirmed his support for “chronically underpaid” public sector workers striking, noting the cost of living crisis presents “immense challenges”. He said he will keep pressuring the government to reach an agreement with unions to prevent further disruption. He said he is in close contact with NHS London and other partners to monitor the impact of today’s industrial action.