Don't get 'blind drunk' at Christmas parties during ambulance strikes, warns NHS boss
Professor Sir Stephen Powis said the public must be 'responsive' on a 'difficult day' as more than 10,000 union emergency workers Unite, Unison and GMB stage payday walkouts.
Hospital and ambulance bosses had warned they 'cannot guarantee patient safety' during the industrial action (
Image: PA)
Britons have been warned not to get 'blindly drunk' and risk ending up in hospital during the paramedics' strike by a senior NHS official.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis says the public must be 'reasonable' on a 'difficult day' as more than 10,000 emergency workers from Unite, Unison and GMB unions stage pay walkouts.< /p>
NHS England's medical director, a familiar face at Covid-era press conferences, released the advice amid warnings of severe disruption to services.
He told Today, "It's the holiday season, before Christmas, so have fun, but obviously don't get so drunk you end up with an unnecessary visit to A&E.
"That's good advice at the best of times and certainly today when we know services are stretched.
Picture:
PENNSYLVANIA)"Granted, today isn't the best of days to end up in an A&E ward if you don't need to be there, if you got blind drunk, that doesn't sound like fun to me. " < /p>
It comes after Health Minister Will Quince suggested people avoid risky activities such as 'contact sports' and unnecessary car journeys to stay safe.
Unions blame the government for allowing services to deteriorate to the point where ambulances spend hours waiting to deliver patients to the emergency room.
But ministers sought to accuse the strikers of putting people at risk.
Mr. Quince told BBC Radio 5 Live: "If there's an activity that people are taking up tomorrow, whether it's for example contact sports or whatever, they might want to review that."
>When asked if he was telling people not to play rugby tomorrow, he replied: "I'm not saying that, I'm saying people should be very careful...
Professor Sir Stephen Powis said the public must be 'responsive' on a 'difficult day' as more than 10,000 union emergency workers Unite, Unison and GMB stage payday walkouts.
Hospital and ambulance bosses had warned they 'cannot guarantee patient safety' during the industrial action (
Image: PA)
Britons have been warned not to get 'blindly drunk' and risk ending up in hospital during the paramedics' strike by a senior NHS official.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis says the public must be 'reasonable' on a 'difficult day' as more than 10,000 emergency workers from Unite, Unison and GMB unions stage pay walkouts.< /p>
NHS England's medical director, a familiar face at Covid-era press conferences, released the advice amid warnings of severe disruption to services.
He told Today, "It's the holiday season, before Christmas, so have fun, but obviously don't get so drunk you end up with an unnecessary visit to A&E.
"That's good advice at the best of times and certainly today when we know services are stretched.
Picture:
PENNSYLVANIA)"Granted, today isn't the best of days to end up in an A&E ward if you don't need to be there, if you got blind drunk, that doesn't sound like fun to me. " < /p>
It comes after Health Minister Will Quince suggested people avoid risky activities such as 'contact sports' and unnecessary car journeys to stay safe.
Unions blame the government for allowing services to deteriorate to the point where ambulances spend hours waiting to deliver patients to the emergency room.
But ministers sought to accuse the strikers of putting people at risk.
Mr. Quince told BBC Radio 5 Live: "If there's an activity that people are taking up tomorrow, whether it's for example contact sports or whatever, they might want to review that."
>When asked if he was telling people not to play rugby tomorrow, he replied: "I'm not saying that, I'm saying people should be very careful...
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