Patients will be getting better care today as a result of the strikes, according to a United member.
Unite today blasted Steve Barclay for his comments about the way trade unions were putting public safety at risk over the strikes.
The Health Secretary wrote in the Daily Telegraph that unions had made a “conscious choice to inflict harm” on patients.
Speaking to GB News Onay Kasab from Unite the Union said: “I was at the meeting yesterday with the Secretary of State, and obviously I must have been in the wrong room.
“Because when I thought we met with him, he clearly congratulated the trade unions for working with the trusts and for working with the Government to put emergency measures in place which made sure that people were safe as possible today.
“And yet the statements he made this morning bear absolutely no resemblance to the meeting we were in yesterday, unfortunately.
“This has been part of the government's actions, it's a continuation of what the Government has done. There's been a huge amount of scare mongering.”
Asked whether he felt his members had been “demonised” he continued: “Hugely. What we don't want is this sort of version of crocodile tears from the Government.
“On the one hand, the Government talks about how they hugely value the work of NHS staff. But they're not important enough to pay us a better wage.
“We're now seeing an escalation of what you called demonisation from the Government. But what I'm really glad to say is that the support from the public is increasing. And that's clear on the responses received on the picket lines by our members today.
“Our members remain committed to providing emergency services and sticking to what we've negotiated locally. What we now need to resolve this is for the Government to negotiate on pay.
“They've failed to do that time and time again, it's a dereliction of duty from the Prime Minister."
Mr Kasab’s comments were echoed by a paramedic on strike in the north west today.
GMB Union branch secretary, Paul Turner, also told GB News there had been no issue with patient care.
Unite today blasted Steve Barclay for his comments about the way trade unions were putting public safety at risk over the strikes.
Jacob King
He said: “We have responded to emergencies when they've come in, we've kept the promise that we said we would from the position of a trade union and as paramedics, we have responded to calls that have come in.
“So as far as we're concerned, there's been no issue with patient care today.
“What is amazing today though, is the amount of calls that we normally see coming in. We aren't seeing those calls, they are significantly lower than what we normally do.
“Therefore today these patients will be getting better treatment than they do any other day, because we haven't got calls queuing for hours upon hours to be waiting for a response.
“And also if the ambulance arrives at the hospital it turns around in 15 minutes. So things are fantastic and we are getting fantastic support from the community.
“We are fed up with attending jobs, and being unable to deliver the care that we want to deliver to these patients.
“They are our patients and we want to look after them and hopefully after today, people will start listening to us.”
Patients will be getting better care today as a result of the strikes, according to a United member.
James Manning
