This strike is part of an “escalation strategy to exert greater pressure on the government,” according to the union. The strike will be taking place at both the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust, with workers walking out from 12:00 until 22:00 BST.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called on the government to re-open negotiations to ensure “a proper wage offer is made” to NHS workers. She added that the current offer does not do anything to address the recruitment and retention crisis that is crippling the NHS. The government had offered a 5% pay rise for 2023-24 and a one-off payment of at least £1,655 to top up last year’s salary.

The Department of Health & Social Care has responded to the planned strike by calling it “disappointing” and stating that it will put “more pressure” on the NHS. The department has advised patients to continue to call 999 in a life-threatening emergency and to use NHS 111 online services for non-urgent health needs.

Picket lines will be set up in Northfleet and Portsmouth, according to Unite. The strikes are likely to cause significant disruption for patients and put further strain on an already overburdened NHS.

The department spokesperson further stated that “most unions on the NHS Staff Council voted to accept our pay offer and we hope the unions who choose to remain in dispute – despite many of their members also voting to accept this offer – will recognize this as a fair outcome that carries the support of their colleagues and decide it is time to bring industrial action to an end.”

The strike is just one of the many challenges currently facing the NHS, which has been stretched to breaking point in recent years due to chronic underfunding and staff shortages.