Police cars will transport some ‘lower priority’ patients to hospital on Monday when London Ambulance Service (LAS) staff strike as part of a national walk-out by NHS workers in protest at the government’s blocking of a 1% pay rise.
On Friday LAS bosses warned that only those patients with life-threatening conditions will get an ambulance and that anyone else would be given clinical advice, provided with alternative transport or told to make their own way to hospital.
Scotland Yard has now confirmed that its officers will be providing support during the strike and that 74 ‘double-staffed’ response vehicles will take “lower priority” patients to hospital.
The force stresses that it “will not be supplying medically-trained officers” and that officers will follow their normal working practices and will only transport to hospital where there are no alternatives.
News of the Met’s assistance follows an announcement that military staff will drive the capital’s ambulances during the walk-out.
Commander Peter Terry, head of the operation, said: “The Met are often called upon to offer help to people of London, and this is one of those times. We ask for support from the public.”
