South East Coast Ambulance Service issues plea ahead of strikes

There will be fewer ambulances on the roads during the industrial action, the NHS has warned

The NHS has urged the public to "use health services appropriately" ahead of industrial action by ambulance workers.

Members of the GMB union working for the South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) plan to go on strike on Wednesday.

There will be fewer ambulances on the roads as a result.

The NHS has urged people to only call 999 for genuine emergencies, but said patients who needed urgent care would still be prioritised.

'Please be patient'

NHS Sussex chief medical officer Dr Dinesh Sinha advised anyone who suffers an injury that is not life-threatening to "think very carefully" about choosing the most appropriate NHS service.

"We ask for the public's support during the day of industrial action so that those who most need NHS help and treatment can get the care they need," he said.

"If you do need support and care, it may take longer than you might expect to be seen and treated, so please be patient."

The NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board warned that 999 call handlers would likely be very busy as NHS 111 call centres would also have fewer staff, with longer call response times expected.

Following a first day of industrial action on 21 December, the GMB union said Wednesday's strike would go ahead unless a "significant" pay offer was made by the government.

NHS services in the South East continue to face sustained pressure, with Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust, Medway Maritime Hospital and Secamb all declaring critical incidents in December.

If you can't see the lookup, click here

Produced by Libby Rogers, Rob England, Nick Triggle, Jana Tauschinski and Harriet Agerholm. Development by Alexandra Nicolaides, Allison Shultes and Mark Oludimu, testing by Jerina Jacobs.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].