Yorkshire Ambulance Service warned it would only respond to calls where there was "an immediate risk to life” amid strike action today.

Up to 25,000 ambulance workers across England and Wales have gone on strike today (Wednesday, January 11) in a dispute with the Government over pay.

Paramedics, call handlers, drivers and technicians from the Unison and GMB unions are taking part in staggered strikes across a 24-hour period.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service said all its services will be impacted, including frontline emergency ambulances and 999 call handling, non-emergency patient transport and NHS 111.

Ambulances will still be able to respond, “but this will only be where there is an immediate risk to life”, the service said.

The fresh strike action comes as 14 health unions, representing more than a million NHS staff, said they will not submit evidence to the NHS pay review body for the next wage round “while the current industrial disputes remain unresolved”.

Instead, the unions, which represent ambulance staff, nurses, porters, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists and other NHS workers in England, called for direct pay talks with ministers.

NHS Providers has warned the NHS will be hit harder by Wednesday’s strike than one held in December as more staff, including call handlers, go on strike.

Unison has balloted around 15,000 of its members who are striking in Yorkshire, London, the North West, North East and South West.

More than 10,000 GMB ambulance workers are also walking out, with their ambulance services covering the South West, South East coast, North West, South central area, North East, East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Wales.

NHS England has told patients to continue to call 999 for life-threatening emergencies but to use 111, GPs and pharmacies for non-urgent needs.

It said some people may be asked to make their own way to hospital, though it urged people to seek medical advice from 111 or 999 before doing so.

Speaking on Sky News, Health Secretary Steve Barclay was asked whether he agreed with comments by Business Secretary Grant Shapps that striking paramedics were being “reckless”.

Mr Barclay said: “If there are delays to ambulances, then it is concerning in terms of our ability to get that care.

“It is clearly a concern as to the impact it has on patient safety.”

Asked about pay talks to break the current deadlock, Mr Barclay said he does not “think it is right” to “retrospectively” go back to April when it comes to reviewing this year’s pay offer to NHS staff.

It comes amid reports he is considering backdating any 2023/24 pay rise, due to be finalised in the spring, to this month in order to boost the current year’s settlement offer.