AMBULANCE bosses are warning strike action by emergency medics could cause long delays for Black Country patients.

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) is expecting a large number of staff to walk-out between 7am and 11am tomorrow (November 24) as part of a national dispute with the government over pay.

Chiefs are concerned the level of disruption could be greater than during a similar walk-out in October and could result in long waiting times for ambulances to attended less serious cases.

Assistant chief ambulance officer at WMAS, Mark Gough, said: “There will be significant delays, people may have to wait up to four hours or there may not be an ambulance response at all for the minor and non-life-threatening calls.

“For example, people who dial 999 and are unsure of what the problem is, people who dial 999 with a minor fracture such as a broken wrist or a sprain, non-severe blood loss, abdominal pain or generally feeling unwell. These are the types of 999 calls that may not receive a response immediately or at all.”

Members of the public are being asked to think very carefully about whether a 999 call is needed before the dial to ask for help.

In addition to the four hours of strike action tomorrow, members of Unison and GMB will also take action short of a strike for the rest of the week. Members of Unite will work to rule until January 18.

This additional action will reduce the number of ambulances and rapid response vehicles available to respond to 999 emergencies across the West Midlands. This will mean slower responses during this time.