Ambulance staff across Leicestershire and Rutland will be taking to picket lines as part of the biggest strike in the history of the NHS. East Midlands Ambulance Service GMB union members will join up with 3,000 other ambulance staff in the Midlands as part of strikes on Monday, February 6.

The staff on strike will include paramedics, emergency care assistants, call handlers and other staff. It comes after union members voted to strike over a 4 per cent pay rise imposed by the Government - while its reaction to the strike days has also reportedly sparked fury.

The GMB union has confirmed where the picket lines will be, with the main one for Leicestershire being at Gorse Hill ambulance station on Anstey Lane in Leicester. Other pickets will be at Goodwood ambulance station by Leicester General Hospital, Loughborough ambulance and fire station on Epinal Way, Hinckley ambulance station on Elizabeth Road, Oakham ambulance station on Station Road, and Narborough ambulance station on Forest Road, Leicester.

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The strike action will last for 26 hours between 6am on February 6 to 8am on February 7. The picket lines will be in place from 8am to 6pm.

East Midlands Ambulance Service has told people to still come forward if they need urgent medical care - especially in emergency and life-threatening cases - as well as making sure to attend any GP appointments already arranged on the day, as they won't be affected by the strikes. They also say to still seek advice if people are feeling unwell over the weekend.

Ben Holdaway, director of operations at EMAS said: “Previous industrial action days at EMAS have been immensely challenging, and we expect the same again on Monday and Tuesday. We continue to work closely with trade union colleagues, and NHS and blue-light service providers across the region to do all we can to minimise the impact on patient safety.

"However, we anticipate that during action there will be fewer ambulances available and therefore our response to our patients will, inevitably, be much slower on the day. As we head towards the weekend, the NHS remains open and people are asked not to store up their health conditions or soldier on if they become unwell or injured.

GMB picketers at EMAS's Leicestershire base in Narborough
Ambulance staff are striking over a pay dispute with the government, and are reportedly 'furious' over the government's response to strike action

"Seek early advice from your local pharmacist, NHS111 Online, via your GP or Urgent Treatment Centre; and if you have a long-term condition, ensure you continue to take your routine medication as advised by your GP. During industrial action we will continue to carefully assess and prioritise an ambulance response for those who need it most.

“It is important that the public use services wisely and make their own way to a treatment centre or hospital if safe to do so; this allows us to send our ambulances with life-saving equipment and clinicians on board to people who really need them."

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