PARAMEDICS and ambulance crews in south Devon have taken to social media to explain their reasons behind the latest industrial action.

Crews are due to go on strike next Wednesday (January 11) and on January 23 in a dispute over both pay and staffing levels.

UNISON announced the strike dates will go ahead for five ambulance services in England.

One anonymous member of the service from south Devon has written on social media to explain how the strikes are viewed from a ‘crew perspective’.

They said: ‘It’s important you know some facts before you decide if you support us or feel we should not be striking.

‘We shouldn’t just expect your support, we should earn it.’

In answer to the question about their earnings and why they are asking for a pay rise, the crew member asked if it was generally known that 50 per cent of frontline ambulance crews earn about £11 an hour.

They said: ‘We have not “demanded” any specific raise, that’s a myth.

‘All we want is a raise that will help cover the increase in our energy bills, food etc.’

Another issue is that staff ‘don’t care about your patients or you’d not strike’.

The response said: ‘It’s because we do care that we are striking.

‘The majority of us are striking over conditions as much as pay.

‘We hate sitting outside the emergency department instead of doing our jobs.

‘We hate hearing that a patient is in cardiac arrest cannot get an ambulance fast or an elderly person is laid on the floor for hours or a stroke victim cannot get an ambulance.’

Another question is that there won’t be ambulances available on strike days.

The crew member replied: ‘On the last strike day we were less busy as people knew not to call for a hurt toe.

‘We had a full complement of ambulances out and those striking still responded to immediately life threatening calls.

‘Not getting an ambulance for hours is a daily occurrence, don’t let politicians pretend it’s a strike day issue.’

To the response to ‘get the army in’, the reply was: ‘What for?

‘If we weren’t stuck outside emergency department with our unwell patients we’d actually have enough crews to get to you fast, just as we want.

‘We don’t have spare ambulances sat about for the army to jump on and, just so you know, the army back up cannot drive on blue lights and are not medics.

‘We just want to be able to do our jobs, and get paid enough to live.

‘We aren’t being greedy and we want to give you a brilliant service.

‘We love our jobs, we love being there for you when you need us.

‘We don’t want to strike but we have to make stand.’