There may be a delay to ambulance response times when crews go on strike on Monday morning.

Although management says it has contingency plans in place they accept the service would not be able to react as normal to all call-outs.

Between 7am and 11am members of the trade unions Unison, Unite, GMB and the Royal College of Midwives will be on strike to protest against a pay freeze. It is the first large scale industrial action in the NHS since 1974.

Ian Brandwood, the Trust’s Human Resource and Operations Director, said: “We, along the trade unions, are keen to ensure that we continue to provide a safe service to our local communities and we are working together to ensure this is achieved.

“Although our focus is on ensuring attendance at the most serious and life-threatening 999 calls, we will have a reduced workforce and there is likely to be some disruption to the emergency service and our response could be extended.

The Trust’s Deputy Medical Director Dr David Macklin says the service will be working hard to prioritise incidents according to urgent clinical need. He said: “We will be carrying out additional clinical assessment over the telephone using doctors and senior clinicians in our 999 Emergency Operations Centres to prioritise those most in need.

“Members of the public can play a big part in ensuring that those who need an emergency ambulance response get one and it’s vital that people only call 999 for an ambulance when it is a life-threatening or serious illness or injury. Anyone requiring advice or treatment for a non-emergency situation or minor ailment should consider options such as self-care, a visit to a local pharmacist, GP surgery or walk-in centre, or NHS 111.”

The Trust says they have had to cancel journeys with its non-emergency Patient Transport Service for those due to attend routine appointments at hospital clinics. However, the service is operating for patients with urgent medical needs such as essential renal and oncology treatments.

Patients who are able to make their own way to appointments should check with the hospital or clinic first to ensure their appointment is still going ahead.