UNISON has announced a new ambulance strike date will take place on 10 February.

The action comes on top of 10 strike dates announced by the GMB and Unite over the next two months.

UNISON’s 10 February strike involves ambulance workers across five services in England – London, Yorkshire, the Southwest, Northeast and the Northwest.

Strike action by nurses is scheduled to take place on 6 and 7 February.

MPs yesterday voted for legislation that will guarantee minimum service levels during strikes. The bill will now be scrutinised in the House of Lords.

Ambulance and nurse unions have committed to continue to answer life-threatening situations and provide critical care.

UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “After promising everyone a quicker pay review body process, the secretary of state’s own department failed to get its evidence in on time earlier this month.

“Ministers must stop fobbing the public off with promises of a better NHS, while not lifting a finger to solve the staffing emergency staring them in the face.

“The government must stop playing games. Rishi Sunak wants the public to believe ministers are doing all they can to resolve the dispute. They’re not.

“There are no pay talks, and the prime minister must stop trying to hoodwink the public. It’s time for some honesty. Ministers are doing precisely nothing to end the dispute.

“The government’s tactics seem to be to dig in, wait months for the pay review body report and hope the dispute goes away. It won’t. And in the meantime, staff will carry on quitting, and patients being let down.

“There can be no health service without the staff to run it. Ministers must open proper talks to end the dispute and put in place the urgent retention plan needed to boost pay and staffing across the NHS.”