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Rishi Sunak says there’s ‘no magic money wand’ as ambulance staff go on strike again
Rishi Sunak has said that rises would have to come from ‘elsewhere in the NHS budget’.
Around 2,000 ambulance workers for North West Ambulance Service are taking part in a walk-out today (January 24th) in another day of strike action at the health service.
Following Unison and Unite members who took industrial action on Monday January 23rd, North West Ambulance Service workers who are part of GMB are on strike today.
Paramedics, emergency care assistants and call handlers who are part of the GMB union began their 24-hour walkout just after midnight.
Amidst the ongoing dispute which sees no resolution so far, Rishi Sunak has told unions ‘it would be lovely to wave a magic wand’ for more pay and that rises would have to come from ‘elsewhere in the NHS budget’.
But the Prime Minister insisted that the Government would continue to ‘engage in dialogue with unions’. GMB representative and NWAS paramedic Paul Turner said that: “North West Ambulance Workers are angry.”
He added: “Instead of talking about pay this year to resolve the dispute, ministers are demonising us and belittling our efforts to save lives.
“The NHS is collapsing, yet we have been waiting two weeks today for another meeting with ministers.
“The only way to resolve this dispute is for a proper pay offer. We are waiting.”
Mr Sunak told ITV News: “Taking a step back, of course it would be lovely to be able to wave a magic wand and just give everyone what they were demanding when it came to pay.
“But my job as Prime Minister is to make the right decisions for the country, and they are, more often than not, not easy decisions.
“But that’s my job, and that’s what I will always do in this job. And, when you think about this, how would we pay for these things? Where’s the money going to come from?
“Actually, it’s probably going to have to come from elsewhere in the NHS budget, and that means fewer nurses, fewer doctors, fewer MRI scanners and CT scanners that are diagnosing people with cancer or indeed fewer mental health ambulances that we’re announcing today that are going to save people from going to A&E.