Trusts ‘could be sued’ under new strike law

Ambulance chiefs have warned a controversial piece of legislation could lead to legal action against their trusts by patients denied an ambulance.

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, would enable the health and social care secretary to set minimum levels of staffing for ambulance call centres and crews. Employers would be able to issue “work notices” compelling staff to provide cover during any strike.

But, in its response to the government consultation on how the system would work, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives has said it does not support the legislation in its current form as it does not believe it will deliver an improvement for patients, or offer a practical means of delivering minimum service levels.

It said the proposed legislation appears to pass responsibility for the service levels to employers, which could leave them “exposed to patient liability risks to a greater extent than before”.

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Source: HSJ, 22 May 2023