‘TAKE NO RISKS' PLEA AS STRIKES HIT NHS

NURSES' BOSS URGES PM TO 'DO DECENT THING' ON PAY AS LONDON TRUST PUT ON HIGHEST ALERT FOR AMBULANCE WALKOUT | PM 'refusing to back down' on nurses' call for 19% pay rise

- David Bond, Daniel Keane, Rachael Burford and Nicholas Cecil

A MINISTER today pleaded with the public not to do anything "risky" during tomorrow's ambulance strike as a London hospital trust was put on the "highest alert" level. Hours before a walk-out by nurses began at 8am today, health minister Will Quince issued the appeal amid worries that some heart attack and stroke victims might not get an ambulance response tomorrow. Mr Quince told the BBC: "There will be disruption to service. If people are planning a risky activity, don’t do so on the day.”

While life-threatening Category 1 conditions such as cardiac arrests and other most serious cases are expected to be covered, there is uncertainty over Category 2 calls, which include some heart attacks and strokes.

Separately Barts Health NHS Trust, London’s biggest trust which includes The Royal London Hospital, issued a statement this morning urging expectant mothers to “make plans in advance for getting themselves to hospital”.