Avoid 'Unnecessary' Car Journeys And Contact Sport During Ambulance Strike, Says Health Minister

Will Quince warned against "risky activities" but No.10 said it was "not going to list" what they were.
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Ambulances outside Waterloo Ambulance Station, London, ahead of members of the Unison, GMB and Unite unions taking industrial action over pay. Paramedics, ambulance technicians and call handlers will walk out in England and Wales on Wednesday in action that will affect non-life threatening calls. Picture date: Tuesday December 20, 2022.
James Manning via PA Wire/PA Images

People should avoid “unnecessary” car journeys and not play contact sports during Wednesday’s ambulance strike, a health minister has said.

Paramedics, control room workers and technicians will walk out in England and Wales tomorrow in a bitter dispute over pay and conditions.

In a separate interview later on BBC Radio 5 Live, the minister elaborated on that advice by saying people not take part in “contact sport” and scrap any “unnecessary” car journeys.

But his intervention was at odds with No.10, who at the same time said it was “not going to list” activities which should be avoided.

The ambulance strikes follows a second walkout by thousands of nurses today after the government refused to negotiate on pay.

Military personnel will be brought into fill some gaps tomorrow and drive ambulances. But they will not be allowed to break red lights, exceed the speed limit or turn on blue lights.

Quince told 5 Live: “If there is activity that people are undertaking tomorrow, whether it’s - for example - contact sport, they may want to review that.”

Asked if people should drive on Wednesday, Quince said: “If there are unnecessary journeys I would say, don’t. No.”

The minister also said while running for exercise was not “hugely risky”, he would not do so tomorrow if it was “still icy”.

Asked about Quince’s comments, Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said: “I am not going to get into a list.

“We would never recommend anyone put themselves in harm’s way on any given day.” Pressed further, they said: “I’m not going to get into it.

“The public as we saw through Covid can be trusted to use their common sense.”