Yorkshire Ambulance staff strike again over shift patterns

Ambulance staff have staged a five-hour strike in the latest round of action over new shift patterns.

Unite members at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust have already held four strikes since 1 February and will walk out again on Monday.

The union claims proposed longer shift patterns could lead to staff working for up to 10 hours without a meal break and could affect patient safety.

The trust said it had taken steps to "maintain operational cover".

Unison agreement

Workers started the strike at 15:00 GMT and the action ended at 20:00 GMT.

Unite represents about 375 of the trust's 4,600 employees and is not recognised by the trust for the purposes of collective bargaining.

The union took industrial action for 24 hours on 1 February; for four hours on 3 February and for five hours on 14 and 17 February.

Meanwhile, Unison has announced it has called off any industrial action after reaching an agreement with the ambulance trust.

The union said the trust had met its demands over breaks and would also review the use of emergency ambulances and rapid response vehicles.