STAFF at the Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) will go ahead with industrial action following the long running shifts dispute with bosses.

Yesterday Unison gave the formal seven days’ notice to the GWAS NHS Trust that they would be going ahead with the action.

The news follows a breakdown of talks between Unison, Great Western Ambulance representatives and the Trust, but Unison has said the door is always open for further talks.

Dan Tucker, paramedic and Joint Branch Secretary for Unison, said: “We are really disappointed by the outcome of the talks and the Trust’s Management.

“We gave the Trust the opportunity of putting a package together, but their offer falls far short of reassuring staff that the new system could ever deliver high standards.

“The Trust’s proposals and enforced changes will continue to leave lives at risk, which is something our members are telling us they’re not prepared to accept.

“As a result we’re left with no choice but to give the Trust seven days’ notice before we begin industrial action.”

Unison says that the dispute is not about pay but the health, safety and welfare of dedicated frontline ambulance crew, the impact on service delivery and effective patient care.

The union has 200 members from Wiltshire, most of whom are based in Swindon.

Chief executive of GWAS David Whiting has said the trust will continue to provide a safe and effective 999 service despite Unison’s decision to go ahead with industrial action.

He said: “Yesterday’s announcement from Unison is extremely disappointing and will do nothing to benefit the many hundreds of patients we attend every day. However, I would like to reassure our public that we have robust contingency plans in place to make sure that we continue to provide effective care and that vital 999 services will not be disrupted by Unison industrial action.

“The changes we are making are about saving more lives.

“To do that, we need to ensure we have the trained staff and vehicles available when and where our patients need us.

“I also believe the changes are better for our staff. We are taking on additional frontline staff and looking to make our existing crews more effective by increasing the operational cover we provide at the busiest times – evenings and weekends.

“This is not about job cuts and it is not about cutting salaries. The changes to shift start and finish times were made so that we can keep as many staff on the road at any one time.

“We believe that the majority of staff understand the need for these changes.”