ARMY ambulances will go on the streets in Glasgow this afternoon after
yesterday's decision by ambulance crews to go on all-out strike until
Monday morning against the advice of their union officials.
Scottish Secretary Mr Malcolm Rifkind said last night: ''Ministers
have a duty to ensure that the best available emergency service is
provided. I am therefore arranging for Army ambulances to be deployed to
the Greater Glasgow area. The situation will be kept under review over
the weekend.''
Glasgow yesterday became the first city in Britain to be left without
ambulance accident and emergency cover. Two women, passengers in a car
that was in collision with a lorry in London Road, Glasgow, were
seriously hurt and were taken to hospital by police ambulancemen.
Jackie Fotheringham, 32, of Broompath, Bailieston, who sustained arm,
leg, and head injuries, was said to be in a ''critical'' condition at
Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Another passenger, Carol Hunter, 28, of Oldwood Road, Bailieston, was
taken to the Southern General Hospital with serious head injuries.
The driver of the car, Mr John Smith, 27, of Cedar Drive, Viewpark,
was slightly hurt and the lorry driver was uninjured.
A male pedestrian who was struck by a car in Cumbernauld Road, Glasgow
last night, was found to be dead on arrival at Glasgow Royal Infirmary
after being taken there by police ambulancemen.
Strathclyde police said early this morning that they had received 200
ambulance call-outs.
Union officials said yesterday they would attempt to persuade their
members to restore emergency cover in Glasgow at an emergency meeting of
all ambulance union members this morning.
In Edinburgh, ambulance personnel denied a claim in a statement by Mr
Rifkind that Lothian and Borders Police also had to be called on to
provide assistance ''following the partial withdrawal of accident and
emergency cover in the Fife, Lothian and Borders ambulance area''.
Last night a spokesman at ambulance control in Edinburgh denied there
had been any withdrawal of emergency cover: ''We are handling emergency
cases only. The police are handling urgent cases that are not
emergencies. We have been providing a 999 service all day.''
Mr John Wilby, director of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: ''One
or two ambulance crews have responded to the appeal made by myself and
the full-time union officials. I very much regret that a small minority
should have taken such an irresponsible action against trade union
advice,'' he said.
A spokesman for the Army in Scotland said that 30 Army ambulances
would be deployed from Territorial Army centres in Glasgow.
The ambulance crews walked out yesterday morning after a mass meeting
of vehicle crew staff at the Ruchill depot.
The motion for an all-out strike narrowly defeated a call for reduced
cover at each of the city's four depots.
EDINBURGH: Ambulance crews met in emergency session yesterday
immediately on hearing of the escalation of action by colleagues in the
west.
A mass meeting of 140 ambulance staff at the city's southern station
agreed to tighten action by ending co-operation on ''priority'' calls --
such as urgent requests from doctors and calls involving children and
the elderly -- and instead voted to respond only to public 999 calls.
ABERDEEN: Crews are continuing to operate an emergency and accident
service and complying with the TUC code of conduct on other
non-emergency services.
Meanwhile, ambulance pay talks are expected on Monday between the
Department of Health and a non-TUC staff association given official
recognition yesterday by Health Secretary Mr Kenneth Clarke.
Any agreement reached with the Association of Professional Ambulance
Personnel could be imposed on the five TUC unions taking industrial
action. AMBULANCEMEN last night informed the Scottish Players' Union that they would continue attending football matches despite
the dispute. In a letter they stated that " all TUC members will continue the cover even if and when pay is docked." Union
secretary Tony Higgins said:: " Their attendance is crucial for safety cover and we thank them."
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