The Unite union has announced further NHS strike action by its ambulance members.

Action by members at South Central, South East Coast and West Midlands ambulance trusts alongside workers at Christies NHS Foundation Trust, Christies Pathology Partnership, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust will take place on Tuesday 2 May.

The moves follows the announcement of action by members at Guy’s and St Thomas and Yorkshire Ambulance Service on Monday 1 May.

Meanwhile, strike action by the Royal College of Nursing is scheduled to take place from 30 April to 2 May after members rejected a 5% pay rise for 2023-24 and a one-off payment of at least £1,655 to top up last year’s salary. Ambulance and nursing staff at UNISON accepted the deal.

Unite’s consultation ballot on the offer is due to end on 28 April with the union’s leadership having not recommended accepting the deal.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite has been upfront and honest that it did not believe that the pay offer was good enough for NHS workers. A lump sum payment and yet another real terms pay cut doesn’t meet the challenges faced by NHS workers.

“Where our members have indicated that they want to swiftly return to the picket line, Unite is ensuring they are able to do so.” 

A DHSC spokesperson said: “Unite’s decision to call further damaging strike action now, before their members have had their final say on the government’s pay offer, is premature and unreasonable.

“The deal on the table is a fair and generous one, proven by the fact that UNISON members voted overwhelmingly to accept it.

“Thousands of staff continue to vote in ballots for other unions over the next two weeks and we’d urge them to vote in favour, because further strikes are in no-one’s best interest – least of all patients.”