The Battle Is Coming, Where Is Our Cheese?

I opened and spoke at a UNISON Organising Stewards course last week which London Ambulance UNISON Branch ran in-house. As Branch Secretary this is one of my responsibilities and we try to organise these courses on a regular basis. Mark Belkin, Branch Education Officer, works hard in arranging these and I…

I Am Frontline You Are Frontline We are Frontline.

We all work within a 24 hour, 365 day a year Emergency Service. Whatever job we do, wherever our workplace is, whether we wear a uniform or not, we all work towards delivering patient care.

This Blogs On Fire!

In my last blog (published on Thursday 7th October) I criticised the Chief Fire Officers suggestion at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham that they should take over, manage and run the Ambulance Service.

Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire (Service).

I hate to think how many times I have heard that the Fire and Rescue Service want to take over the running of Ambulance Services! This old chestnut comes around every few years. John F. Kennedy once said:

Our NHS Our Future.

I make no apology for banging on about this: we are under attack! The Union is under attack, the National Health Service is under attack and our pay and pensions are under attack!

Death By A Thousand Cuts!

I have spent most of this week at the Trade Union Congress in Manchester. Some people say that it rains most of the time in Manchester: well they are wrong! I am here to tell you that it doesn’t rain most of the time, as it actually rains all the time!

Past And Present, We Are All Front Line.

I attended the LAS ‘Celebration of Service’ Ceremony in Westminster on Tuesday night. Twenty five members of staff from across the Service were being recognised for twenty years of NHS service with either a medal or medallion. 

Chilean Mineworkers Stuck In A Wheelie Bin!

Since I posted my last blog : Thirty three Chilian mineworkers have been stuck underground without a chance of being rescued until Christmas! The floods in Pakistan have taken more lives and the people who have survived are without homes, food, medicines and little help! More, and larger, explosions have…

Reality Check, Compensation Cheque and a Discount!

I worked for twenty years on the front line at Camden Ambulance Station and, to be honest, Camden is still my spiritual home. It was the first and only station I worked at. I had great times and met great people throughout those years.

New Ways Of Working, Safe Ways Of Working and Tax Back.

It has to be the ambition of our union to see ambulance workers take control of their working lives. For them to be in charge of their day-to-day work patterns, training, leave, relief cover, environment and community.